


Glistening Seas

by thecatmeowsalot



Category: Ben - Fandom, Kylo Ren - Fandom, Rey - Fandom, Reylo - Fandom, Star Wars, Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Fandom, ben solo - Fandom
Genre: F/M, mermaid, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-03-24 15:55:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 39,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13814496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecatmeowsalot/pseuds/thecatmeowsalot
Summary: Rey is a mermaid who has been stranded on a planet full of only ocean.  Determined to find out who she is and why she is here, she explores.  One day while sunbathing, a ship falls from the sky and crashes into the ocean.





	1. Rey

**Author's Note:**

> Starting to work on this new fic! Hope you guys like it! Follow me on tumblr @thecatmeowsalot and you'll get lots of reylo, Marvel, DC, and funny random content!

Sparkling gems glittered through the water, floating around Rey as she flicked her tail against the current. She extended her arms and felt the salt crystals bump against her skin. Ecstatic with joy, Rey twisted her body in circles and allowed the sun to flitter over her body and warm her. She couldn’t contain her smile, the pure happiness escalating in her. For the first time in years, Rey felt hope.

  
She’d been stuck on this planet ever since her parents disappeared. She’d been alone. The entire planet was water, no land. There were rocks that popped out of the ocean, but those were always harder to get to. That would never stop Rey from exploring, though. Of course there were other creatures in the sea, but there were never any that looked like her. She had a face, a torso, arms, and then her bottom half looked like a fish. Her scales reflected light, becoming the color of the things around her. The only reason Rey knew she wasn’t the only one of herself out there was through her memories. She vaguely remembered her parent’s faces, the image blurring in her mind. That was the only connection she had to them now.

  
Rey swam to the surface and pulled herself up on to a basking rock, letting the sun soak into her. Sometimes when she’d lay out in the sun for too long, her tail would be replaced by two legs. It was almost like magic, like a type of force making her that way. She’d stretch her toes and try to stand and balance. But time after time, she would fall back into the water and a tail would appear once more.

  
Today while exploring, Rey had found a large space ship. She’d seen nothing like it before. Sixteen years on such a planet and she was still discovering new details. She managed to open the cockpit and sit herself in the chair. Surprised that she fit so easily, she smiled. Rey turned her head up to the water’s surface, wondering what creatures above made such things. After a moment passed she began to explore again. To her right, she found a helmet painted orange and white. She put it on her head and grabbed the controls of the ship, pretending to steer. The helmet was too big, but she didn’t mind. The fascination with the idea of a different culture was enough to make her giddy. In all of her twenty years, she couldn’t remember ever seeing such a thing. However, she could understand what it did and what it was. Something in her past always made these instances make sense, if only she could truly remember.

  
Now here she was, bathing on a rock, looking up into the sky as the sun glistened across her skin. Rey closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. The waves gently pushed against the rock, calming her. Finding that ship was the first time she’d discovered anything from a separate people. Maybe there were others out there like her, too. That ship lying at the bottom of the sea was the key to her past. For the first time, she had experienced hope. Rey could escape this planet and explore other worlds, find other people!

  
Suddenly, a huge shadow covered blocked the sun. Startled, Rey jerked upward and watched a figure crash through the atmosphere. It was a ship, different than the one she was in earlier. This one was black and headed towards the ocean’s surface deadly fast. Smoke rose from the ship as it fell, forming a grey spiral behind it. She watched in horror as the ship started moving closer to her. Knowing she had moments before the ship’s impact would be too close, Rey rolled over into the water and swam as far down as quickly as she could. Seconds later, a loud thud shook the sea. Vibrations echoed miles and miles into the waters, forcing Rey to cover her ears.

  
When the noises stopped, she opened her eyes and looked up. A few hundred yards away from Rey was the ship. Pieces of shrapnel were falling off and sinking to the sandy floor. Curious, Rey began to slowly swim over. As she got closer, she spotted a figure in the cockpit gasping for air as the water rose around him. His dark black robes began spreading around his body, almost like they were bleeding out. Sparks lit around him and quickly sputtered out. The man seemed to be suffocating as the water filled the ship.

  
Nervous, Rey moved herself so she was positioned above the man. The man looked up at her and took a deep breath before the water filled the cockpit. He looked panicked, his hands in a fist banging against the glass. Rey looked around her for something to grab. _I need something sharp!_ Looking down, she found a piece of floating shrapnel. As fast as she could, Rey swam down and grabbed it, cutting her hand in the process. When she reached the man again, he had passed out. Rey banged the sharp end of metal against the glass until she heard a crack. Then she hit it harder and harder until there was a hole large enough to pull the man through. Struggling, Rey managed to grab the man by his arms and pull him out of the sinking spaceship. She swam as fast as her tail could manage until she’d breached the surface. Rey took his head and positioned it above water.

  
For the first time, she noticed his features; black hair, long eyelashes, pale skin, and natural red lips. His hair was almost to his shoulders. She looked away, trying to focus on the matter at hand. Rey couldn’t admire his appearance or let herself realize that she’d saved a man. She’d never seen a man before. Rey had to find somewhere to put him. She turned, the water splashing against the two. She was barely keeping his mouth above water. His clothes weighed him down and his large figure definitely overtook hers.

  
To her left was the rock she was on before the ship had crashed. Rey immediately headed that direction, barely able to lift him onto the safe place. Once he was there, she placed him on his side, hoping he’d start breathing. When nothing happened, she fell back into the water. _I’m too late…_  
She felt herself sinking, the sun rays disappearing the further down she went.

  
_No, he can’t be gone. I’m going to do this. For me and for him._

  
She needed answers and he was her only chance. Rey swam back up and placed herself on the rock beside the man’s lifeless body. All she knew was that the water needed to be taken out of his system, but how? Without thinking, she balled her fist and hit his back with as much strength as she could muster. She waited a moment and watched him. Nothing. Rey did it again, but this time with both of her fists. Suddenly, the man coughed. Rey let out a surprised squeal and jumped back, falling into the water. After catching herself and swimming back up, she peered at him and watched as his breathing became steady. The man was still passed out, but there was nothing she could do about that.

  
Suddenly, she became very shy. She’d never met a man before, at least one that wasn’t her father. Even then she could barely remember him; only the grainy image in her memories.

  
Knowing he was breathing, Rey decided to leave him on his own. She didn’t want to scare him if he awoke. Just in case, Rey slipped further away from the man and decided to watch from afar.


	2. Kylo Ren

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Kylo Ren finally meet against the surface of the sea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second chapter! Again, find me @thecatmeowsalot on tumblr!

The day had turned to night, stars sparkling above the sky.  This time there were green and red reflections across the water, like fireworks dancing in the dark.  These beams of light scattered over the starry sky leaving trails behind them.  She’d watch as large fireballs would appear and then explode.  She knew it was nothing more than a firefight, but she’d never seen one before.  Rey wasn’t scared, but rather mystified by it all.  

The man was still asleep on the rock.  She’d stayed near, her hair floating against the waves as she peered up over the water.  He was breathing and seemed at peace, but she was still worried.   _Who are you?_ she thought.  

Another beam of light lit up the sky and startled her.  The noises weren’t as loud as they had been, but the booming still sent shivers up her spine.  Hours had passed since the man had arrived.  Once he appeared so had the ships above.  This place had once been peaceful, but now was overwhelmed by noise.  The fish had all swam down to the sea floor, leaving Rey alone on the surface.

Rey rested on her back and let herself float along the water, her tail reflecting the colors of the stars above.  She watched as the lights disappeared further into the sky, fading into oblivion.  Rey closed her eyes and felt the salt crystals float against her body.  

_Maybe he knows who I am… no, that’d be ridiculous.  One man in a galaxy wouldn’t have the answers to a lost girl._

She took a deep breath and felt a tear roll down her cheek.  Nothing would ever fill this lonely hole in her heart.  Rey had always tried to focus on the positive, but how could she when there was no one but her.  

A cough broke the silence and Rey jerked upward, looking toward the man.  He had positioned himself on his hands, his black hair covering his face.  Rey froze.  She didn’t know what to do.  He was finally awake which meant he was okay.  But now what?  

Curious, Rey quietly swam closer, hiding among the waves.  The man looked around him and cursed under his breath.  She watched as he removed the wet cape from his body and lay it beside him.  

Another boom came from the sky, startling both of them.  Rey quickly flicked her tail and was underwater in a matter of seconds.  A piece of metal had entered the atmosphere and looked as if it was to crash many miles from her location.  She looked as the junk smoked through the night sky and blocked the stars.  Soon enough the metal had dropped into the ocean and disappeared from her sight.  Rey came back to the surface and followed the smoke trail with her eyes.  She’d assumed the fire fight had made its way further from the planet, but the piece of junk told her otherwise.  

“HEY!” she heard the man call.  Rey turned and looked at the man.  He was standing on the rock, his hair still damp against his face.  He was tall and wore dark clothes, his gloves now lying on the ground beside his cape.  

“COME HERE!” he shouted at her.  Hesitant, Rey slowly made her way over, barely peering above the water.  She stopped a few feet from the rock, making sure to keep her distance.  

“You’re the one who pulled me out,” he stated.  The man’s voice was deep and calm.  She tilted her head, trying to figure him out.  “It’s okay,” he told her.  “I’m not going to hurt you.”  She swam closer until her tail was resting against the underwater parts of the rock.  He sat down, observing her.  

Up closer she could tell he had dark brown eyes.  They were gentle, but could be fierce if needed.  The man looked her up and down, landing his gaze on her tail.  The moons had come out and their light reflected across her scales.  

“You were drowning,” she said softly, trying to take his focus off of her body.  The man looked surprised.  

“What are you?” he asked.  She turned on her stomach, her long brown hair falling over her chest.  Rey stared into his eyes and flicked her tail above the water behind her.  He became stunningly quiet.  A few moments passed between them before she broke their gaze.

“How did your ship fall from the sky?” she asked.  The man looked away and sighed.  “I was shot down by the rebel force while trying to save one of our captured generals,” he responded.  She nodded, not knowing who the rebel force was.  “Is that what those green and red streaks were in the sky?  Guns?” she asked.  He raised an eyebrow at her.  “You’ve never been off this planet before, have you?” he asked softly.  She shook her head no.  “So there’s no way off then?” he asked.  Rey didn’t know what to say.  He's immediately assumed she'd wanted to leave.  It was true, but it was like he could read her.  I mean, she had always wanted to leave this place and find her parents, but there never seemed to be a way out.  She found herself looking down at the ocean water lapping at the rock, salt crystals building up a barrier between the two.  

“There’s no way off,” she stated plainly.  The man’s lips parted, inhaling a large breath.  He seemed to be controlling an anger building in him.  “I’m sorry,” she found herself whispering in response to his reaction.  

“Look at me,” he stated, seemingly not hearing her.  She looked up and saw fear resonating in his eyes.  He was stranded just like she was.  “My name is Kylo Ren.  I’m the Supreme Leader of the First Order.  My coordinates went down when my ship was first hit.  To escape I entered lightspeed and landed in this galaxy.  The rebel force managed to track me somehow and shot me down.  My ship crashed into this planet, and well… you know the rest.  My forces don’t know where I am.”

He seemed nervous, almost hesitant to ask her for help.  “I can’t help you leave, if that’s what you’re implying,” Rey stated.  “There’s no way off,” she repeated.  

“Maybe so.  But you’re going to help me find one,” Kylo Ren demanded.  She was turned off by his demeanor.  Why should she listen to someone whose life she saved?  “Why would I help you?  I already saved your life,” she snapped back.  "I haven't even heard a _thank you_ from you for that."

“I can get you off this planet if you work with me,” he coaxed.  Rey froze.   _This may be my only chance to find my family,_ she thought.  Rey took in a deep breath.  “Fine.  But you have to help me find my family.”  Kylo Ren didn’t ask her more questions about her odd request.  Instead he just nodded.  After a moment passed, he broke the silence.

“How long was I passed out?” he asked her.

“Only a few hours.  The sun set not too long ago.”

“Oh,” he paused.  “What’s your name?”

“Rey.”

“Like a ray of sun?” he smiled.  She looked back down at the water and nodded in response.  “Like a ray of sun,” she repeated.  She vaguely remembered the words of her mother echoing in her head saying that she was a “ray of sunshine.”  She shook her head, trying to make sense of all the vague images and voices bouncing around her mind.  

“Are you okay?” he asked.  Rey looked up at him and stared at the moonlight reflecting in his deep brown eyes.  “Yes.  Sorry.  I’ve never met another person before,” she stuttered.  Rey let herself slip back into the ocean until only her head was above water.  She moved to the side of the rock to get a better look at Kylo.  He watched her intently as she swam to his side.  Rey placed her arms against the hard surface and leaned forward.  

“Well, I wouldn’t have known if you hadn’t told me,” he admitted.  She smiled softly and looked down at the fabric beside her.  “Is it cold where you come from?” she asked.  “In space it tends to be that way.  To save energy, it can become quite cold in our main ship,” Kylo explained.  Rey nodded and looked toward the sky.  “It must be so beautiful being among the stars everyday.”  

“If only my focus was able to be on them,” he managed.  Rey looked back at the man.  He seemed smaller than he was earlier.  Not physically, but rather emotionally.  He seemed to be hiding so much inside him.  She wanted to pry him open and search for the answers he’d buried deep within.  Exploring was the only way she could find any answers.  Yet, Rey knew she had to control herself or else she wouldn’t be able to leave this planet.  

“How do I help you leave?” she asked.  Kylo Ren looked down at her and smiled.  

“Let’s wait until the morning to get started.  I have a feeling we’re going to be here longer than I want.”  

Rey nodded and backed away, flipping down into the water.  

“WAIT!” she heard a muffled scream through the currents.  Rey breached the surface to see Kylo standing on the rock.  “Where are you going?” he asked.  She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.  “Back to my cave.  I have to sleep, too, you know?”  Kylo Ren closed his mouth and apologized for yelling.  “Is there any way you can stay close by tonight?  I don’t know what other creatures are in these waters,” he hesitantly asked.  Rey swam back to the rock and pulled herself up onto it.  “Okay,” she said quietly.  

Kylo Ren laid down beside her, using his cape and gloves as a pillow.  She watched as he closed his eyes.  She observed the moles scattered across his face.  He might have looked frightening if angered, but now he just looked exhausted.  Rey looked at the dark purple colors under his eyes and the contrast it had with his pale skin.  He was handsome in an unconventional way.  She couldn't help but stare. 

"Thank you.  For saving me," he whispered under his breath.  Rey was stunned, but could see that his hard outer shell was hiding a soft core.

“I’ll stay close by,” she told him.  Kylo Ren made a noise in approval.  

Rey jumped back into the ocean and looked up at the salt crystals floating about.  The moonlight struck them in such a way that calmed her.  After this day, Rey decided to head back down to the orange and white ship she’d found resting on the sandy sea floor.  

She crawled into the cockpit and sat in the seat.  Once comfortable, Rey found herself thinking about the strange man above before she dozed off.

 


	3. Exposed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Kylo Ren must figure out how to escape the planet with so little time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy this chapter! Btw, if I don't post for any extended period of time, it's because I'm a college student with homework. Halp me it sucksss. Anyway, enjoy this chapter! And also, you can find me @thecatmeowsalot on tumblr

_ A scream.  Crying.  Red everywhere.  Sticky, wet hands.  Fire falling from the sky.  She fell on her knees, every emotion drained from her body.  Pain fluttered throughout her skin.  The noise was excruciating, her ears ringing at the loudest pitch.  “What have I done?” she asked aloud. _

Rey jerked forward and hit her head against the controls of the ship, waking herself.  She cursed under her breath and rubbed her head.  Looking up she saw a fish staring at her through the glass.  

“What are you looking at?”  

The fish just stared back, its beady eyes intently watching her.

“Shoo!” 

Rey watched as the creature quickly swam away, like it was broken from a trance.  She reached her hand back up to her forehead and felt a small bump forming.  She sighed, also remembering the cut on her hand.  It wasn’t deep, but it still burned.  It’d at least started healing from the salt clumps in the ocean.  If she kept doing this, Rey would be knocked out completely by the end of the day.  

She rested back against the seat and wished she’d worn the damn helmet to sleep last night.  Back in her cave she’d managed to create her own bed, but here, that was lacking.  Rey always had nightmares and if she was smart, perhaps she would’ve prepared for one while sleeping in this ship.  Of course, her mind was on Kylo Ren last night.

She had no idea how he planned to contact anyone, let alone escape the planet.  She’d been trying her whole life and had accomplished nothing. 

Rey looked down at her tail and ran her hand over the smooth scales.  In her dreams she always had legs.  But stuck where she was, there was no reason for them.  The man above would be stuck on the same rock for however long they had to stay here because he only had legs.  It at least made Rey appreciate her tail for a few moments.  

She climbed out of the cockpit and began her hunt for food.  She’d know Kylo Ren would be hungry by now, as was she.  Rey searched the sea floor, hoping to come across something.  She didn’t know this area of the ocean even existed before yesterday, but that wouldn’t stop her.  Lifting a nearby rock, Rey found one of the green plants she recognized from her cave.  Pulling them out, she concluded there’d be enough for two people to have.  

Rey flicked her tail to begin her journey upwards when she heard a faint noise.  It was coming from the surface.  Rey moved quicker, hoping that Kylo Ren hadn’t been stupid enough to get off the rock.  She didn’t even know what lived around here.  As Rey breached the surface, she found the man standing up straight, fighting with a bird for one of his gloves.  

“Give it back, you dull creature!” he yelled.  The bird squawked back with dire intention to keep the leathery cloth.  Rey giggled as the exchange took place, causing Kylo Ren to turn around.  As he did, the bird took advantage of his distraction and took off with the glove.  Kylo Ren turned back just in time to watch the animal land on another rock a few hundred yards away.  It squawked at him and stared, mocking Kylo Ren that it had won.  “I’ll eat you next time you come around!” he shouted.  The bird took the glove in its feet and flew off, making sure to squawk back at him one last time.

“It is nesting season,” Rey exclaimed, still laughing.  “Oh, you think that’s funny?” he stated.  “Yes, very much,” she retorted.  Kylo Ren make a noise of disagreement and sat down.  

Rey swam up to the rock and placed the plant beside him.  “Well, I brought breakfast.  I assume you haven’t eaten anything, being busy with the porg and all.”  

"Is that what that hell creature is called?" he said angrily.  Rey nodded and laughed again.

Kylo Ren grabbed one of the leaves and quickly took a bite.  The minute his body registered the taste, Kylo Ren spit it out into the water.  

“Could you not do that?” she asked, jumping up on the rock.  

“It tastes like salt,” he exclaimed.  

She studied him, raising a brow.   “What?  You have other options for food?  Why don’t you go after the porg and eat that?” she snorted back at him.  “And what’s with your thing where you can’t thank somebody?  I could have left you to starve.”  Kylo Ren looked at her and sighed.  He picked up another piece of the plant and slowly put it in his mouth, chewing strangely.  After a few seconds, he gulped it down and looked back at her.  “You happy?  I ate it,” he said.  

“Not really, but I’ll take it,” she responded.  Rey ate a piece herself and decided to start the conversation.

“Okay, how do we get off?” she asked.  Kylo Ren looked across the sea and sat up straight.  “I have no contact with anyone.  The comms will be down completely and since being underwater, no chance of fixing them.  Maybe we could fix the ship?” he suggested.  Rey was taken aback.  “You want to fix the ship that was falling to pieces?  That’s impossible.  It was on fire, Kylo Ren.  Plus, would you just lift it out of the water?” she asked sarcastically.  “I have my ways,” Kylo Ren reaffirmed.  “And just call me Kylo.”  He paused and took another piece of the plant in his hand.  “But you are right.  There’s no hope in fixing that ship…” he trailed  off.  Rey sat back, disappointment covering her face.  “Plus, even if you keep feeding me, I’ll eventually die of dehydration,” Kylo stated matter-of-factly. 

Rey dropped her head and looked at the grooves in the rock.  This was supposed to be her chance to leave these seas and find her truth.  They had to think of something.  It was her only chance.  If he didn’t make it, neither would she.  Rey would rather be dead than have to live the rest of her life alone, searching for answers that would never be discovered.  

“You can’t think like that right now.  We are going to figure something out.  We have to,” she stated.  Kylo was munching on the leaf again.  

“We better.  I can’t let the rest of my life be left with eating this crap,” he said.  

Rey smiled to herself, capturing Kylo’s attention.  

“What?” he asked.  

“You said ‘we’,” she responded.  “Yesterday you were acting like I was only here to get you out of this situation.  That was the first time I’d heard you mention us working together to get off this planet.”

Kylo nodded in response.  “I’d be stupid to think I can do this alone,” he said in a monotone voice.

Rey got up completely on the rock beside the man.  He was large, taking up a good amount of the space, but Rey was able to fit.  “Won’t you get hot with all those clothes on?  The sun is strong here,” she said.  Kylo laughed gently and smiled.  “Nothing I can’t handle.  It’s much better than a planet system with multiple suns.”  Rey nodded and laid back against the rock, enjoying the sunshine on her body.  Even with her eyes closed, Rey could feel Kylo searching her body up and down.  Her long brown chair rested against her chest, her tail stretched out against the rock.  Kylo studied her tail, watching the reflections of the sunlight and blue sky in the scales.  

Suddenly Rey jerked up.  “I have an idea!”  Kylo jumped backward, startled by her sudden movement.  He managed to catch himself before falling into the water.  “Oh, sorry,” she said dismissively.  “So you need a ship, right?  And it doesn’t matter if it’s underwater as long as it can be fixed…?” she asked.  Kylo nodded.  “Where are you going with this?” he wondered aloud.  Rey smiled, excited.  “Okay, so I was searching the ocean floor yesterday before you came and found an orange and white spaceship in the sand.  It’s put together and doesn’t seem to be falling apart.  I actually slept there last night,” she said.  Kylo didn’t seem to have a very happy response to it.  “Orange and white?” he asked.  Rey nodded, still smiling.  She didn’t understand why he wasn’t more excited about this.  “That’s a rebel ship,” he said, as if reading her mind again.  

“So?” 

“That means if we go back to the First Order, they may shoot us down if we have no comms to explain our situation.  Even if we could explain, they may still believe it’s a trap,” Kylo breathed.  

“Okay, so we don’t go straight to them.  We go somewhere else first and find someone who can identify you,” Rey shrugged.  Kylo paused for a few moments, thinking.  She watched the wheels turning in his head.  Rey had begun to notice that he would bite his lip while pondering.

“We might be able to try that,” he said quietly.  “But if my plan doesn’t work, then we may be screwed.  By that, I mean dead.”  

Rey smiled, unable to hide her excitement.  “I’m willing to take any chance I can,” she exclaimed.  

“At this point, so am I,” Kylo responded in his deep tone.  

Rey laid back down and explained that the ship was basically below the two.  It only had one seat, but Kylo mentioned that she would just sit on his lap.  

“We have to hope it has gas in it.  If not, well… we’ll worry about it if the problem arises,” he added.  That idea didn’t even bother Rey.  She knew that no matter what, nothing would stop her from getting off this planet.  Hope began to rise in her again, the feeling lighting up her insides.  

The sun has risen higher in the sky, drying Rey’s wet skin. The feeling tingled against her tail and - wait.  Before she could warn Kylo, her tail has disappeared and been replaced with two legs.  She opened her eyes to find him staring at her bottom half, his mouth slightly ajar.  Rey quickly grabbed her legs and brought her knees to her chin.  

“I, uh…” Kylo trailed off.

“I forgot to warn you, “ she mustered, her cheeks red.  

“What kind of creature _are_ you?  I know I already asked, but you never properly answered,” he mentioned, his voice gentle and curious.  

“I don’t know what I am.  But when I get wet, I have a tail.  When I’m dry, these legs appear,” she paused in between each sentence, embarrassed about being exposed.  

“That’s miraculous…” he managed, still looking at her legs.  “Can you stand?”

Rey turned onto her hands and knees, and stood up one leg at a time.  She wobbled back and forth for a moment before balancing with her arms out to each side.  Kylo stood up beside her and took her hands in his.  They were so much larger than hers, and rougher.  She didn’t mind though.  He placed them on her shoulders and she held onto Kylo while steadying herself.  

“Sometimes I try walking, but most of the time I end up falling back into the water,” Rey stated, noticing how close the two were.  Kylo looked her up and down and landed his gaze on hers.  

“You’re something very special.  I wonder how you got this way.”  

“Me too.”

She took her hands off his body and slowly sat back down.  She touched the water with a finger and watched her luminous tail reappear, replacing the legs that once were.  Rey leaned forward and placed herself back into the salty waters, enjoying the feeling of floating again.  Kylo sat down and leaned forward, trying to understand her.  

“Well, how are we going to get the ship out of the water?” Rey changed the subject.  

“ I know a way,” he stated smugly, a smile creeping onto his face.  


	4. The Ticking Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Kylo band together to create a shelter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting up an interesting dynamic for ya guys! Hope you enjoy! Find me @thecatmeowsalot on tumblr my dudes

“Are you going to explain to me how you plan on raising the ship?” Rey asked, the sun beating down on the two.  Kylo grabbed the bottom of his thick shirt and rose it over his head, his large arms pale against the light.  She watched his muscles contract as he exposed a black, thin shirt underneath.  The undershirt stuck to the sweatier parts of his figure and formed into the curvatures of his body.  Rey looked up and saw Kylo smirking at her, noticing her staring.  She quickly looked away, her cheeks swelling with heat.  She didn’t know why he made her feel this way, but she tried to shake the feeling from her mind.  

He was getting hot and needed fresh water - fast.  How much longer could Kylo make it like this?  She looked back up at him to find beads of perspiration forming on his forehead.  

“Well, since I know this is going to take much more strength than I want to use, I think you should find us a better place to rest.  Somewhere not too far that I can swim to.  Plus, it’ll need to be able to hold the ship,” he told her while she floated among the waves.  Kylo reached his hands into the ocean and splashed a handful of cool water against his face.  The beads dripped down his shirt, dragging the fabric with it.  

“Are you going to be okay alone for a while?  Should I find you something to make a makeshift shelter with?  It’s only going to get hotter out,” Rey mentioned.  She saw how quickly the dehydration was settling into his body.  It wasn’t something she ever had to worry about, but was something that could very well be deadly to Kylo.  “I don’t know how long it’ll take me to find another rocky area,” she stated, worry showing in her tone.  

Kylo splashed more water on his face, trying to cool his body down.  “I think finding something to hold up my cape could work for now.  I could use it as a tarp to block out the sun’s rays,” he said.  

“Are you sure you’ll be okay on your own?” Rey asked, hesitant to leave the man.  

“Of course.”

“Okay…  I’ll be right back,” she said and flipped herself back underwater.  

Rey wanted to move as quickly as she could.  Running through the options in her mind, she decided that searching his ship’s wreck would pull up a hopeful return.  Her eyes adjusted to the lack of sun on the sea’s floor.  Rey pushed her way through the salt clumps and came across a sharp piece of metal stuck into the floor.  It was jagged and shiny, but too dangerous to move.  Looks like the wreck was closer to where they were than she'd initially expected.

Rey suddenly realized that it wasn’t an option for Kylo to not leave this planet.   _ I can’t let him die.  He needs me more than I need him now,   _ she thought.  

Rey moved forward, entering a particularly lucious area of the ocean.  Plants grew like vines down here, hiding fish from predators.  She felt the leaves rubbing against her scales as she made her way through.  Rey took a deep breath and stopped moving for a moment.  Hidden amongst the green, she looked up and stared at nothing in particular, just letting herself think.  Everything that had happened in the past few days was finally catching up to her.  She’d almost romanticized the idea of leaving, but now that it was a real possibility _and_ a person’s life was on the line, she was scared.  Rey would have to be courageous and stake it through, but a knot was forming inside her.  On top of leaving was also the realization that she’d finally met someone similar to her.  It was exciting, and he was handsome, but she knew if she thought of him like that, it would only distract her from the answers she needed.  If she couldn’t discover who she was, then there would be no point in leaving this place.  She closed her eyes and Kylo’s image lit up her mind.  Rey opened her lids and shook her head, trying to forget the feeling he gave her.   _Of course I would immediately get attached to the first person I met._  Rey rolled her eyes and took a moment to get her mind in the right place.  

Once focused, she began swimming again, trying to find the location of his ship.  Rey decided to swim above the plants to find the main collision the metal had with the sandy floor.  Sure enough, a few hundred yards away laid a large chunk of frame, glass, and metal.  The ship was almost indistinguishable due to the force it had when it hit the ground.  She swam over, making sure not to touch anything that could harm her.  She was tired of ending up bruised.  Rey looked on all ends of the metal chunk and couldn’t find a distinct entrance to the ship.  The cockpit had folded in on itself, making it impossible to enter.  Thinking that it had nothing to offer up, Rey decided to search for pieces of shrapnel.  Perfectly enough, there were two metal slabs lying nearby.  The sand had yet to cover them, making it possible for Rey to lift them up.  She hoped Kylo could rest them against each other and cover them with his cape to reduce the sun's exposure.  

With much struggle, Rey brought them back to the surface.  Rising into the dry air, Rey felt the sun heat up her skin.  To her it felt nice, but she knew it would only overheat Kylo Ren after a few hours without shelter.

Suddenly, one of the pieces slipped from her hand.  She cursed out loud, drawing the attention from Kylo.  Without hesitation, he removed his shoes and dived into the waves, joining her.  When he reached her, he grabbed the slab from her hands while Rey dove back underwater to retrieve the other piece.  She grabbed it and came back up.  Kylo was treading water waiting for her.  When surfacing, Rey noticed his black hair sticking against his face and how his wet clothes desperately clung to his body.  Before she could completely lose her mind, he’d turned back around and swam to the rock, placing the shrapnel down softly.  Rey lugged her piece over and Kylo grabbed it out of her hands.  

“Thank you,” she responded, out of breath.  

Kylo smiled.  “No, thank you.  I was getting worried.  You were down there for a while,” he said.

“Wait, did you just thank me?” she asked, half sarcastically, but mostly genuinely surprised.  

“Oh christ,” he muttered.  Rey hopped out of the water and sat beside him, smiling deviously.  “Well, you’re welcome,” she responded quite happily.  

Kylo turned around and positioned the two metal slabs against one another to form a tent of some sort.  Then he grabbed his cape from the ground and slowly placed it over the shrapnel.  

“This should work,” he said mostly to himself.  Rey looked at it and nodded.  

“Is it big enough?” she asked.  Kylo sat down and backed himself into his makeshift tent.  Sure enough it somehow managed to hold his body.  Rey was almost surprised that it did because he was so tall after all.  

“It’s already cooler,” he said, closing his eyes and taking in the shade.  Kylo ran a hand through his wet hair, bringing it all back.  Rey gulped at the sight, trying to hold herself together.

“Well, that should work for today until I find somewhere else for us to go….” Rey trailed off, hesitant to add that she’d never actually been in this part of the ocean before.  Luckily, Kylo didn’t notice.

Looking down, she noticed a shiny piece of metal hidden among his shirt.  Curious, Rey leaned over and grabbed the object.  It was cylindrical and open ended through three different holes on one side.  Rey peered in one exit of the object and saw a shiny red rock inside. Rey turned it around again, taking in the weight of the figure.

“Put it down,” Kylo’s stern voice rung out.  Rey turned to find him looking right at her.  

“It isn’t a toy,” he said.  Rey narrowed her eyes and stared at him.  

“What is it?” she asked, still holding the object.  Without warning, Kylo Ren grabbed the object out of her hand and placed it behind him.  

“It’s a weapon.  Don’t touch it again,” he emphasized each word.  

“What does it do?” she asked, demanding answers.  

“Why does it matter?” he threw the words at her.  

“It would matter because you’ve been hiding a weapon from me this whole time.  Must I remind you that I don’t know you?  I don’t know anything besides what you’ve told me.  What if you’ve been lying?  What if you’re planning on taking me and doing horrible things to me?  What if killing me is a solution to your hunger?  I don’t know your intentions.  So answer me.  Why would you have a weapon like that on you?” Rey felt an anger rising in her.  If he felt the need to hide anything from her, her plans could be ruined.  He really could just be using her to save himself.   _ What if he flies away in the ship and leaves me for dead?  _ she considered.  Rey backed away from Kylo, eyes wide and intense.  

“Would you calm down?!  It’s my own personal weapon I keep on hand.  It’s not a matter of yours,” he growled back at her.  

“It definitely is a matter of mine.  If you were hiding that from me, I would need to know your intentions with it,” she snapped back.

“My  _ intentions  _ are to use it in case of one-on-one battle with an  _ enemy.   _ Do you seem like an enemy of mine?” he angrily mustered.  Rey just glared at him, hesitant still.  

“If you don’t believe me, that’s your own problem.  But I’m going to get off this planet with or without you.  You can either make silly assumptions or work on the plan,” Kylo snapped.  

“I’ve been working on the plan while you sit here doing nothing!  I  _ created  _ the plan, must I remind you?” Rey leaned forward, her heart beating faster.

“Why do you even care enough to leave this place?” Kylo said, catching her off guard.  Rey got quiet and looked down at the rock's hard surface.  

“That is none of your concern,” she said slowly.

“And your concern shouldn’t be my weapon,” he spit out.

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

Rey hopped back into the water.  “I’m going to find an area to put the ship.”  She didn’t look back as she swam away.  Her body was boiling with anger.  She’d never experienced such an overwhelming feeling before.  Her skin was red and heat rose from her figure.  She decided to blink away the anger and try to find a better area to shelter the ship.  Focusing on something other than him would be better for her sanity.  


	5. Crystal Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I found a place,” she said, trying to ignore the fact that their last conversation was basically a fight. 
> 
> “How far?” Kylo asked.
> 
> “Maybe a mile away at most,” she explained. He nodded.
> 
> Rey swam up to the rock and he looked down at her. Up close, she could see his lips cracking, the heat truly beginning to affect his body. Worried, Rey asked, “Will you be able to swim it all?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's gonna get cutesy in here!!! Find me @thecatmeowsalot on tumblr

Rey swam away from Kylo, desperate to focus on something else.  How had he managed to hide such a weapon from her for so long?  It’s not like he could just stow away the piece of metal anywhere he wanted!  

Rey huffed and noticed herself swimming quicker.  She didn’t really care where she was going or what she was looking for.  The damn sea was too large as it was.  Anyways, the places she did know were much too far for him to swim.  

She stopped and decided to turn on her back, just floating.  Closing her eyes, she let the gentle waves rock away her frustration, her thoughts carried afar by the currents.  

She let the sun beat down on her skin and tail, her long brown hair swirling around her body.  The clumps of salt gathered around her skin, softly bumping against her as the waves passed.  Suddenly, she had a thought.  Rey positioned herself upright and studied the salt clumps floating about.   _ They’re getting larger and larger…  _

She looked closely at the crystals in her hand.  They glimmered agains the sun.  Looking back up, she spotted a larger chunk a few feet away, riding the waves to nowhere.   _ Is there a large salt flat nearby?  _ she wondered.  Curious, Rey followed the shiny element’s trail, making sure to observe the larger pieces. 

A few minutes later, Rey had found exactly what she was looking for.  On all sides were different salt formations that seemed well intact.  A few were splitting on their ends, floating away into the ocean.  To make sure it could hold her, Rey cautiously positioned herself on one of them.  The salt left residue on her hands, but it held her perfectly fine.  She rolled around to make sure that it wouldn’t overturn.  She didn't want Kylo to fall off every night.  Rey put all her weight on her hands and lifted her torso up, trying to get a better view of the area.  A few hundred yards away was a larger, thicker flat.   _ That could hold the ship,  _ she thought.  

Excited about her discovery, she decided to head back to Kylo Ren.  Hopefully this would be a good place to stay.  

\----

When she returned, Kylo was laying down in his hut, eyes closed.  He seemed distracted by something, but how would she know what?  As she moved closer to the rock, he sat up, like he’d expected her presence in that exact moment.  Rey brushed it off, thinking it was just coincidence.  

“I found a place,” she said, trying to ignore the fact that their last conversation was basically a fight.  

“How far?” Kylo asked. 

“Maybe a mile away at most,” she explained.  He nodded.

Rey swam up to the rock and he looked down at her.  Up close, she could see his lips cracking, the heat truly beginning to affect his body.  Worried, Rey asked, “Will you be able to swim it all?”

Kylo looked at her and said, “I’m not someone to give up.”  Rey had expected that answer.  She almost wondered why she'd bothered asking.

She looked down at the waves and noticed her reflection.  Her brown hair was full of salt crystals, stuck to her from the journey.  Rey jumped up on the rock and sat beside Kylo, hyper away that there was even less space between the two now that he’d made his makeshift shelter.  

She reached a hand up and began picking the salt out of her hair.  Large chunks seemed to be everywhere on her body because of the salt planes.  But they were the only place that could hold the ship.  She looked at the ends of her hair and began plucking away the crystals.  

Rey looked up and Kylo’s gentle brown eyes were gazing at her.  The sight took her breath away.  She couldn’t help but lose herself in his eyes; they were sad and scared, but also blatantly confident.  Kylo lifted one of his hands slowly, Rey watching how smooth every movement he made was.  He placed his fingers on her hair and gently removed more of the crystals from the brown strands.  She had yet to take her eyes off him, studying his face as he focused on her long brown waves.  His hand was so close to her skin, the heat his body gave off radiating against her cheek. 

Rey’s breathing sped up as she observed the way he moved.  Then she felt his touch; a finger softly running along the side of her face.  She closed her eyes and took in a deep, shaky breath.  Opening them once more, she saw Kylo lean into her, their faces so, so close.  Rey looked at the way his nose curved, the moles dotting his skin, and found herself raising a hand.  She looked at him, biting her lip nervously, and ran her fingers along his lips.   _What would they feel like against mine?_ she wondered.  Kylo froze, his black hair cascading around the form of his face.  She moved her fingers along his jaw line, feeling the stubble along his chin.  Rey traced her finger across his cheek and softly twirled a piece of his hair around her finger.  Kylo’s brown eyes glimmered against the water’s reflection, stunning Rey.  He watched her as she dared to be confident.  Then Rey slowly dropped her hand and watched Kylo study her. 

Her heart was beating out of control.  She wanted nothing more than to feel his lips on hers.  Kylo began to lean forward, but suddenly Rey felt a tingling sensation centering around her tail.  She jerked back and looked down as the transformation began, startling Kylo Ren.  He turned and watched in admiration as tail formed into skin.  

Kylo leaned back, the moment ruined due to her transformation.  Rey wanted to curse out loud, but decided it was better not to.  She cleared her throat and looked down, bringing her knees to her chest.  She didn’t know how to properly use this figure and was embarrassed around Kylo because of it.  He noticed that she was uncomfortable and handed her the shirt he’d removed.

“Here.  You can put it on and it’ll cover you,” he said.  Rey looked at the garment hesitantly, but decided to take it.  He showed her where to put her head and how to get her arms through.  Rey turned away from him and slipped the shirt on.  The clothing smelled so much like him that it intoxicated her, making her head spin.  She snuggled her head into the neck of the shirt and smiled.  The garment came down to her knees, making it easier to hide her body in.

“The sun is going down and it gets cold up here,” he stated.  Rey turned back to him.  “I thought that... maybe you could stay with me tonight.  The shirt could keep you warm.  And there’s enough room for the two of us to lay,” he stuttered.  Rey looked at him and smiled.  

“Okay,” she paused.  “And then we can leave tomorrow morning.” 

Kylo nodded and smiled at her.  

“What will you use as a pillow tonight?” Rey asked, now that she was wearing his shirt.  Kylo smirked and slowly removed his undershirt, exposing his bare chest to her.  She froze, unable to do anything but stare.  His skin was glistening from sweat, outlining the curves of his muscles.  He placed his shirt on the rock behind him and laid down, his chest reflecting the colors of the setting sun.  

Rey sensed that he was getting tired earlier in the day now.  It worried her, hence why she agreed to sleep beside him.  She couldn’t let anything happen to Kylo Ren.  She wished there was something she could do about his exhaustion and dehydration, but there wasn’t; not when he was stuck on a planet full of salt water.  

Rey sighed and laid down beside Kylo, his shirt warming her small body.  His breathing was a calming touch to the waves gently tossing themselves against their rock.  She found herself moving closer into his body, her legs somehow tangling with his.  It was a strange feeling of skin against skin, instead of skin against scale.  Kylo rolled on his side, facing Rey.  He reached an arm out and gathered her closer to him.  Rey snuggled her face into his chest, feeling safe and scared all at once.  Would she be able to make it?  Would he? 

Night fell, as the two had for each other.  

They were asleep in a matter of minutes, their breathing synchronizing to the tune of the ocean.  


	6. Swim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Follow me,” she said and they were off. Kylo’s dark hair blocked his vision as he swam, attempting to keep up with Rey. She tried to slow her pace to match his, but overall her tail just made her faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next one for ya! I love reading your comments and I'm glad you're all enjoying it! Just a reminder, find me @thecatmeowsalot on tumblr

Rey kept waking up throughout the night.  She wasn’t used to the noises on the water's surface.  The waves were much more violent when the wind picked up.  Kylo’s shirt kept her warm through the night, but her legs still felt exposed.  To get over the strange experience, Rey would just lean into the large body beside her.  His smell was musky, but it comforted her strangely enough.  She didn’t understand the feeling he gave her, but it was relieving the knot in her stomach.  But her thoughts would always wander back to Kylo’s safety.  If only she could find him some fresh water…

_ Red waves overcame her body, lighting up her insides with fear.  Screams came from somewhere behind her, but she couldn’t place them exactly.  The hair on the back of her neck stood straight up.  Looking down, there was the weapon in her hand, like a sword, that lit up with a violent rage.  She looked down and gasped, raising a hand to cover her mouth.  Before her was a body, sliced in two.  A tear streamed down her face and she looked away, horrified.  Rey pressed a button on the weapon and the red color vanished.  She dropped to her knees and tried to scream, but nothing came out.  Shaking, she dropped the weapon and fell… _

Rey jerked upward and screamed, knocking over the tent.  She hit the pieces away with her shaky fists and wrapped her arms around her body, her knees at her chest.  She heard a noise, but couldn’t find who it belonged to.  Rey rocked herself gently, trying to erase the images from her mind.   _ It was only a dream,  _ she tried to convince herself.  But it had felt real, all too real.  There was a pressure on her body, a figure beside her.  Her mind was filled with so much cacophony that she began pulling at her hair to rid the voices away.  

“Shhhhh, it’s alright,” a deep voice echoed out, slowly silencing the others in her head.  Pressure against her skin raised her chin, facing her with a man.  Suddenly, everything came back to her.  Kylo sat in front of Rey, eyes wide with worry.  She looked into his eyes, and he immediately took her in his arms.  Tears dripped down her face and landed on his skin.  She felt nauseous.  

“There was a body…” she barely whispered.  

“I know,” Kylo gently responded as he held her.  “I know.”  

He held her like that under the stars for minutes, maybe hours.  But no matter how long he held her, the fear wouldn’t leave her body until daybreak.  

The sun rose over the waves, streaming lights of pink and orange across the surface.  

“We should head out,” Kylo said.  “I don’t know how much energy I have left.”  Rey nodded and backed out of his arms.  She looked behind her at the mess of metal and cloth on the rock.  

“I’m sorry,” she stated quietly.  

“Let’s just get today over with,” he responded gently.  

Rey slipped the shirt over her arms and held onto the fabric.  Kylo slid his black undershirt over his figure and grabbed his cape.  She watched as he fished for something.  Underneath a piece of shrapnel, he pulled out the weapon.  Rey froze.  Before her was the same hilt that the red sword had in her dream.  

Kylo saw her staring.  “We’re not going to argue about this again, are we?” he asked.  He slipped the piece of metal into a pocket on his pants.  

“Um… no,” she managed.  Kylo narrowed his eyes at her.  

“Alright, then, let’s go,” he said.  Rey nodded, her eyes still wide.  

_ Who is he really?  _ she thought.  Rey tried to ignore the words scattering about her mind, screaming of darkness.  

She dove into the water and felt herself sinking.  The tingling startled her and Rey looked down as two became one.  Her tail glistened as the morning light shone over her scales.  Holding the shirt close to her body, Rey swam back to the surface and watched Kylo slip into the water. 

“Can you carry those and swim?” she asked, trying to force the evil thoughts from her mind.  He seemed to struggle to swim and hold onto the garments.  “I can hold onto your clothes if it’s easier,” Rey recommended.  Kylo thanked her and she took the cloth from him.  They were weighed down from the water’s pull, begging to fall to the sea floor.  The weight was nothing she couldn't handle.

“Follow me,” she said and they were off.  Kylo’s dark hair blocked his vision as he swam, attempting to keep up with Rey.  She tried to slow her pace to match his, but overall her tail just made her faster.  

He struggled against the current while Rey just danced through it.  At one point, Kylo stopped, desperately trying to catch his breath.  “Are you alright?” Rey asked.  He looked beaten down, the circles under his eyes purple from lack of sleep.  “I just need to breath for a moment,” he stated.  Kylo tried to focus on an imaginary point as he treaded water.  After a moment passed, he began moving again.  

A trip that normally would be about 10 minutes on her own lasted three times that.  Rey wasn’t trying to complain, but rather was worried about Kylo’s well being.  Even if he was something darker than he had originally revealed, she still needed him to leave this place.  

Soon enough, the salt clumps in the sea turned into chunks and eventually into smaller flats.  Rey spotted the bigger one and pointed it out to Kylo.  As if reenergized, he bolted over to the flat and lifted himself onto it, leaving white marks on his black clothing.  Falling over, his breathing was heavy.  He brought his arms around his figure.  Rey watched as Kylo quickly jerked back upward and vomited into the sea from nausea.   _Dehydration,_ she thought.  To avoid the bile, Rey swam to the other side of the flat and placed his clothes on it, sliding herself on as well.  Kylo had fallen back over, completely worn down.  Rey slid herself over to him, the salt clumps from the sea stuck in his hair.  His eyes were closed, his breathing sounded more like a wheeze.  

“Let’s just wait to get the ship,” he strained.  

“You need energy.  I’m going to get you something to eat,” she said.  Rey jumped back into the ocean and swam to the sea floor.  It was colder here than she’d expected.  Rey rubbed her hands against her arms, but continued on.  She came across a variety of plants and grabbed pieces of each.  She didn’t know what his body could keep down, plus he hadn’t liked the taste of the last leafy plant.  After gathering a small collection, Rey found herself back on the water’s surface.  Kylo still was laid out, the sun beating down on his body.  She hopped up beside him, placing the handful of plants down.  Kylo managed to sit up, grabbing his head.  Rey could tell he was still nauseous. 

“I thought I’d be able to last longer than this,” he breathed out.  

“Just eat something.  We’re going to get you out of here,” Rey said, not even sure if what she said was true or not.  Kylo looked at the variety she’d collected and grabbed a darker looking leaf.  He took a bite and nodded, laying back down.  He kept munching on it, but she could tell he was eating it more out of necessity than want.  

“The minute you feel comfortable, you have to get the ship up.  You still haven’t told me how you’re planning on doing that,” Rey said, attempting to coax the plan out of him.  

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.  Just let me rest and get my strength back,” Kylo muttered.  

“Then let me go back and get those shrapnel pieces to make your shelter,” she said.  “Are you going to be okay alone?” she asked.  

“Yes.  It’ll give me time to eat,” he said.  

Rey nodded and jumped back into the water, swimming the fastest she’d ever gone before.  Her long brown hair flowed behind her, trying to slow her down, but to no avail.  As she made it to the rock, her thoughts were on the dream she’d had.   _ What could it mean?  _ she asked herself.  Thinking back to the nightmare, she imagined herself holding the weapon.  It didn’t even feel like her body.  Her grip was too strong, her anger too rigid and uncontrolled.  

Rey shook her head and grabbed the pieces of metal off the rock, turning to head back to Kylo.  The metal was heavy and kept slipping through her fingers, slowing her pace.  She strove forward, desperate to get to him.  

Her feelings toward Kylo were clear, but her observations were worrisome.  He was angry in a snap of a finger, hid a dangerous weapon from her (the one that she saw in a dream), and fell from a war.  But he wasn’t a soldier, no, he was a leader.   _ He is deadly… _

Rey reached the salt flats and noticed Kylo had placed his cape over his body, trying to block the devastating rays from his skin.  Rey threw the shrapnel onto the salt and raised herself on it as well.  Kylo sat up, exposing his pale face to her.  He looked sickly.  She made her way to him and placed the metal pieces together to form the same makeshift tent Kylo had before.  She took the cape from his hands and wrapped it over the metal.  Kylo leaned into the shelter.

“Thank you…” he mustered.  She looked over to her pile of plants.  Almost all of them had disappeared.  

“I’m glad you ate,” she told him.  

“If I didn’t we wouldn’t be able to leave,” he breathed.  Kylo looked exhausted.  He was up most of the night comforting her, so she told him to get sleep while he still could.  Taking out the weapon from his pocket, he placed it beside him.  Kylo used his shirt as a pillow and closed his eyes.  Rey back away from him, taking the opportunity to eat, herself.  She looked out over the sea and watched the sun glisten across the waves.

_ How can something so lovely be so deadly?  _ she wondered.  Too much was happening at once.  Her only focus should be on leaving, but now it was on Kylo Ren's true identity.  She was scared, the fear returning to her body.  Rey tried to focus on the beautiful scene in front of her, but she couldn't.  

Looking back, Rey saw that Kylo was asleep.  Curious, she wanted to see if the weapon was truly the one from her dream.  Quietly, she snuck over, Kylo's breathing soft.  Rey reached out her hand, trying to avoid touching him as he slept.  She grasped the metal, remembering the same feeling from her nightmare.  Rey gasped, noticing her mistake.  Kylo didn't move, so she took the piece and headed back to the edge of the salt flat, her tail resting in the water.  As she had in the dream, Rey pointed the open ended parts away from her body and twisted the metal around in her hand.  Sure enough, there was a button on it.  Taking a deep breath, she hit the button.  Before her, a red light came out of the three holes, causing her to startle.  The light was violent, ragged, and deadly.  A tear fell from Rey's face, evaporating on the saber.   _It's the same one..._  

"Put it down.  NOW!"  

She turned around to find Kylo standing behind her.  He was dark, his eyes narrow, deadly.  Rey pressed the button and killed the red light, placing the metal hilt beside her.  

" _Who are you?!"_ she demanded.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh heck yeah, we getting dark up in hereeeeee


	7. The Force

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s the force,” he shouted at her. Rey darted her eyes to him and found Kylo walking over to her. “You’ve been force sensitive this whole time, you just decided to ignore it,” he stated plainly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm quite proud of this chapter. Praise is accepted! (lol) But seriously, thanks for reading. You guys who like it make this fun for me! Find me @thecatmeowsalot on tumblr

“The one from your dreams,” Kylo Ren said, eyes blazing with fury.  

“How did you know about that…?” Rey whispered.  She backed away from him, slowly lowering herself into the water.  

“Because I see into your mind.  Because I  _ lived  _ it.”  Kylo lowered himself, still largely towering over Rey.  

“You killed a man…” Rey breathed as the image reflected across her mind.  “You’re a monster.”

“Yes, I am,” he stated while picking up the metal hilt.  Up close she could see the cracks in his lips and the red devouring the white in his eyes.  Rey gasped, trying to back away from the salt plane he kneeled upon.

“You aren’t going to leave me.  You dreamed it because the force wanted you to.  We’re connected, Rey.  You know that as well as I do,” he said, convincing her of the truth.  

“I don’t know what the force  _ is _ .  I don’t know who you  _ are _ .  I’m not letting you leave,” she spit back, a tear streaming down her face.  

“ _ Watch me _ ,” Kylo Ren growled.  He quickly stood up and reached his arm out, closing his eyes.  Rey felt an energy rising about her, searching for something.  

“What are you  _ doing?!”  _ Rey yelled.  There was a disturbance in the ocean that forced the waves to freeze.  She looked up at Kylo as the purple under his eyes grew darker against the pale of his skin.  He didn’t respond to her, his focus elsewhere.  His hand began to shake, muscles contracting and expanding.  Suddenly, Rey heard a sound behind her.  Jerking around and splashing water violently, Rey discovered the orange and white ship breaching the water’s surface.  Her mouth hung open, unable to process what she was seeing.  As the realization processed in her mind, Rey discovered the ship was close to her, way too close.  

She jumped up on the salt plane and found herself bumping against Kylo’s legs.  It was like he didn’t even notice.  She moved out of the way and watched as the large spaceship rose from the sea, leaking water everywhere.  Kylo Ren opened his eyes and turned his body, the ship following his movements.  It was above the plane now, dripping water onto the salty surface.  He slowly lowered his arm, the large piece of metal following suit.  It gently rested against the salt plane with almost no shudder.  

Rey looked up and saw Kylo fall over, crashing hard into the water.  As much as she wanted him to drown in that moment, something inside her couldn’t let that happen.  She dove into the sea and saw his body gently sinking.  His hair flowed upward, his clothes spreading, trying to escape his body.  Kylo’s arms were reaching to the surface, as if he were begging for help.  Rey reached him and wrapped her arms around his torso.  He wasn’t breathing.  Still angry from the fight, she violently tore upward through the water, reaching the surface.  With all of her force, she managed to jump up onto the salt plane with Kylo.  Sliding, Rey let him go and found herself moving backwards without anything to stop her.  Rey turned just in time to see the ship in front of her eyes.  Then, black.

\---

Pain echoed throughout her head.  Rey grunted and opened her eyes, raising a hand to her head.  The sun was almost too bright, but then a figure blocked the rays from her face.  She looked up and saw him standing there.  

“Why would you save me after what you saw?” Kylo’s voice rang out.  Rey squinted her eyes and froze.  Looking down, she saw two legs positioned awkwardly in front of her.

“I don’t know,” she said through gritted teeth.  “Tell me what you are, Kylo Ren.”  He sat down in front of Rey, crossing his legs.

“You already know what I am.  You can feel it inside you, can’t you, Rey?” he said, toying with her.  Rey closed her eyes and watched the memories play across her mind.  Suddenly, she understood.  It was like a sitting candle had finally been lit again after decades of shadows.

“You’re from the dark side.  You’re a fallen jedi,” she found herself saying, not even completely understanding the words coming out of her mouth.  Kylo raised an eyebrow, the only hint that he was surprised by her response.  

“Are you going to let that stop you from leaving this planet and finding your desperate answers?” he smirked, the darkness enveloping her mind.

A pain ricketed around her head, startling her.  “GET OUT OF MY MIND!” Rey screamed.  Kylo just let out a sauntry laugh.  “I’m not in your head.  You’re in mine,” he revealed.  Rey looked up at him, anger pouring from every pore in her body.  “Make.  It.  Stop!” she told him.  He tilted his head and stood up, resting his body against the side of the spaceship.  He watched as she shook, trying to control the emotion she was overwhelmed with. 

“You have to release yourself,” he said, sounding almost bored.  Rey closed her eyes, trying to ignore the fear and anger escalating in her body.  The knot in her stomach was large, but as she looked up and focused on the blue sky, the horrid feeling faded away.  

“You did good,” he said, nodding his head up and down.  Rey stood up slowly, grasping onto the ship to help her.  Pulling her hand away, she noticed a red, shiny streak.  

“Yeah, your head is bleeding.  It’s nothing bad,” he said.  Rey looked back at him and leaned against the ship.  She took her other hand and felt around her forehead until the pain receptors flickered in her brain.  Pulling away, there was the red, sticky substance on her fingers.  

“This is your fault,” she accused.  Kylo snorted and turned around, beginning to observe the ship.  “And don’t think I’m not coming with you.  I’m leaving this god forsaken planet, no matter what I have to do,” Rey told him with force.  

“I know. And you don’t have to like me, even though something tells me you do,” he mentioned while opening the cockpit.  

Rey clenched her jaw.  Looking away, she spotted his cape resting on the shelter a few feet from her.  Slowly, Rey tried to walk to pick it up.  She put her arms out to both sides and found herself able to put one foot in front of the other.  When she reached the shelter, Rey dropped to the ground and grabbed the cape, wrapping it around her body.  

“Finally aware you’ve been naked this whole time?” Kylo asked, now positioned at the front of the ship.  

“Shut up.  It never mattered in the first place,” she snapped back.  But it had mattered.  Kylo just hadn’t revealed what the images had done to him.  Rey straightened up, wondering how she suddenly knew this information.  

“It’s the force,” he shouted at her.  Rey darted her eyes to him and found Kylo walking over to her.  “You’ve been force sensitive this whole time, you just decided to ignore it,” he stated plainly.  

“So what?  Now I know what you think?  What you feel?” she asked.  He snickered at her and leaned down.  

“Not exactly.  You figured that useless piece of information out when you got yourself stuck in my head.  Guess you were looking for more answers,” Kylo shrugged and walked back to the ship.  Rey looked down, worried about what had been revealed to her.  When she thought of Kylo, the darkness overwhelmed her, but a light was still there, begging to be freed from the shadows.  

“There’s gas,” she heard him tell her.  “We can leave as soon as the ship dries off.”

Rey leaned back, scared. Should she actually go with him?  Rey had only known one place her whole life, and she was scared to leave it.  But finding her truth was more important than any emotion trying to hold her back.  Rey looked back up at this ship.   _This is my only chance,_ she thought.  Knowing this to be the truth, Rey decided to leave with Kylo Ren, no matter the repercussions.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELL YEAH I DID THE MONSTER THING FROM THE MOVIE!!! Why? Cuz I liked it:) Enjoy my reylo babes


	8. The Spaceship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s going to be okay. This isn’t your home, Rey,” Kylo’s voice was surprisingly gentle. He’d been so snarky today that hearing him be genuine warmed her. Rey smiled and found more tears falling from her cheeks to the sea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go. Finally about to leave the planet! Find me @thecatmeowsalot on tumblr

“Where’d you suddenly get all this energy?” Rey asked, still annoyed at Kylo.  

“You shared it with me,” he paused.  “You  _ really _ have no idea how to use the force.”  She heard him tinkering with the spaceship.  

“Is that how were you able to raise the ship?  With the force?” she asked, still confused.  

“Why do you ask so many questions?” he rebutted, obviously ticked.  Rey looked back toward the ocean and wrapped the cape tighter around her body.  The noises stopped, and Kylo turned to look at her.  She felt his eyes on her and tried to ignore the gaze drilling holes into her back.  “I have a strength and the force helps me manipulate it,” Kylo sighed.  

“Is that how I entered your mind?” she wondered aloud.

“Yes.”  

“Does everyone have this… strength?” Rey asked, trying to understand what this all meant.  She looked back at him.  He was sweating, but seemed less pale than before.

“No.  You’re an anomaly.  I felt your power the moment I saw you swimming toward me.  It’s untamed,” he stated, walking closer to her.  

“Why didn’t you mention it to me then?” Rey asked, confused.  Kylo moved over to the edge of the salt plane and washed his hands of grime.  

“You obviously didn’t know what it was.  Look, I don’t know how you ended up here, but I know you are strong.  Unfortunately, your weakness is your curiosity.   _ That’s  _ another reason why I didn’t tell you.  You start looking for answers and suddenly you dream other people’s pasts… And mine's not a past you want to get familiar with,” he said, trailing off.  Kylo turned to her, messing with his lips, and looked away.

“I didn’t want you to see the lightsaber because then you’d know that I am this evil being, this monster…  That I’m the one from your dream,” he shuddered.  Kylo stood up and walked to Rey.  His dark brown eyes shadowed so many different emotions swelling in his mind.  

“So that’s what it’s called,” Rey said, looking back at him.  Kylo nodded, clenching his jaw.  Her stomach twisted inside her.  He had so much anger and hurt in him, but there was a sweetness rising to the surface when he saw her.  

“We should be able to leave by night time.  There are a few more things I have to sort through,” Kylo said.  Rey nodded and smiled nervously.  She held her breath and watched him walk back to the ship.  Rey turned back to watch the waves gently caress the salt plane, only then letting the air slowly leave her lungs.  Rey leaned over and tried to swallow the knot growing in her throat.  But she couldn’t hold it back and felt tears rolling down her face.  This planet, peaceful and lovely, was the only one she could remember.  It wasn’t until Kylo Ren crashed into the sea that she saw the darkness it contained.   _ I’d rather know the truth than be ignorant and alone,  _ she thought.  But no matter what she told herself, a part of her longed to stay.  She sniffled, the tears blocking her vision.  Kylo either noticed and didn’t say anything, or was too focused on the ship to care.  

The past few days had exhausted her.  There was so little that she had known about the galaxies until Kylo Ren came along.  Mostly, she saw the negative through him, but it was worth waiting to see the light.  Rey wiped a tear from her eye and laid back.  She looked up at the blue sky and took in a long breath.   _ I wonder what it all looks like,  _ she thought.  

“Empty,” Kylo said from afar.  

“Could you stop invading my mind?” she retorted angrily.  “And why can’t you try to see the beauty in it all?”  Rey scoffed and turned to him.  Kylo narrowed his eyes and walked over to her.  

“Maybe you should try to block me out instead,” he smirked back.  

“So what, you’ve been listening to me this whole time?” she asked, standing up slowly.  

“Yes.  Gives me something to think about while fixing the only thing that’ll get  _ you and me  _ off this place,” Kylo raised his brows at her.  Rey cursed under her breath and balanced her way over to him.  

“You don’t have permission to do that,” Rey said, bumping his shoulder as she passed Kylo.  

“You didn’t have permission to enter mine, either,” he said, following her as she took the cape off her body.  “That’s different and you know it,” she said.  Letting the black fabric fall to the salt plane, Rey hopped into the ocean.  The tingling feeling entered her legs and formed the skin into tail.  The sting of the salty water on her cut sent nerves blasting, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t ignore.  As Rey swam back upward, she saw Kylo’s dark shadow blending into the sea.  Breaching the surface, she watched as he let out a breath and avoided her eye contact.  

“I could teach you how to control it,” Kylo said.  Rey was taken aback by his offer.  

“No,” she found herself saying.

“Why not?” he asked, genuinely curious.

“You know why,” she whispered.  He did.  The dream had been enough to throw her off.  Rey wouldn’t want someone with so much hurt to control her actions, let alone teach her his.  

Trying to change the subject, Rey brought up how the ship was coming along.  “I’m almost done with it.  I have to check some wiring and then we should be ready,” Kylo said.  Rey nodded.  Her long brown hair cascading along the surface.  

“Are there oceans on other planets?” Rey asked, scared that she would never swim again.  Kylo smiled softly.  “Yes.  But they’re not as calm as this one.  Most are stormy and unnerving.”  Rey looked down at the water and watched the current swirl below her.  She tried holding back her tears, but they came anyway.  

“It’s going to be okay.  This isn’t your home, Rey,” Kylo’s voice was surprisingly gentle.  He’d been so snarky today that hearing him be genuine warmed her.  Rey smiled and found more tears falling from her cheeks to the sea.  

“I’m just going to go for one last swim, then,” Rey said through the tears.

“Okay.  I should be done by the time you get back,” Kylo said.  Rey turned away from him and swam down into the salty waters.  

Twisting and flipping about, Rey took in every detail she could remember; the fish glistening in the sun’s light, the plants waving about as if saying their last goodbye to her, and the sandy floor hiding creatures she’d barely laid eyes upon.  She’d have to get used to using legs, but for now, Rey was in her element.  Nothing could stop Rey from exploring her sea for one last time.  As time passed, she found herself back at her cave.  She’d never sleep in her bed again and watch the stars twinkle above through the hole in the rock’s ceiling.  The cave was dark, but held some of the treasures she valued most.  She’d littered the floor with shells and grasses, making it into her own.  She could feel her eyes watering even though no tears would stream down her face.  Rey looked down and saw a light pink shell.  The image of her mother handing a small shell to her younger self sprang from her memories.  Rey reached down and grabbed the shell, deciding to take a small piece of home with her.  

Rey’s swim back to the salt planes was sorrowful and heartbreaking.  She knew that this was the only way she could find herself, but the hurt still demanded to be felt.  Reaching the salt planes, Rey finally felt the excitement settle in.  She’d said her goodbyes and they would always echo through her mind, but she was ready.  It was time to leave.  

Rey hopped up onto the salt plane with the shell tight in her hand.  Kylo turned around and looked at her, black and grey coloring covering his hands.  

“We should be ready.  Let me try to turn it on,” he said while climbing up into the cockpit.  After sitting down, he made a few movements and suddenly, the engine was rumbling.  Kylo climbed back down and washed his hands off.  

“You should put the cape on.  It’ll get cold when we reach space,” Kylo stated.  He handed her the black fabric and went back over to the spaceship.  Rey wrapped the cape around her body, tying knots in it to create a dress of sorts.  Her long brown hair covered her shoulders.  She looked down at her tail and watched the blue reflection of the sky glitter in her scales.  The sun should start setting any minute now, changing the tone of the sea.  Rey looked back over to Kylo.

“Can you help me into the cockpit?” she asked.  Kylo had grabbed his shirt and fit it over his head, fixing the fabric on his body.  

“Of course,” he said, walking back to her.  Kylo placed an arm under her back and one under her tail.  She noticed how close she was to his face, but tried to ignore it.   _ He isn’t a good man,  _ she thought, trying to convince herself that there was no connection between the two.  

“You should stop denying,” Kylo said aloud.  

“What did I say about you being in my head?” she muttered, tired of the same conversation.  Kylo let out a soft laugh and carried her to the ship.

Kylo Ren managed to climb up into the cockpit and place her so that she was sitting on his lap.  “Will you be able to steer with me here?” she asked, noticing how little room there was in the cockpit.  

“As long as you lean back into me,” he said.  Rey did, feeling his body against her back, only fabric inbetween the two.  Kylo took her wet hair and placed it on the other side of her shoulder.  “It was in my way,” he said, but Rey felt the lingering touch of his fingers on her neck.  

“Maybe I should cut it,” she suggested.  Kylo pressed a bunch of buttons in front of the two.  She felt the ship jerk and a few seconds later, they were in the air.  

Soon enough, they'd finally be free of the planet.


	9. The Journey Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Looking back out the windshield, Rey watched as the surface changed into a glistening sea under the sun’s setting rays. This would be her last time looking at this planet, but the thrill of the ship rushing out of the atmosphere was enough to distract her thoughts. She looked back up at the sky, feeling slightly nauseous. 
> 
> “Here we go,” Kylo said while sliding a lever forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this is fun guys! Great outlet and such. Enjoy this next chapter. Wonder where we'll go from here?????? Hmmmmmmmmm  
> Find me @thecatmeowsalot on tumblr

“Hold on,” Kylo said.

“To what?” Rey asked.  Before she had time to find something to grab, the ship jerked forward and burst upward through the sky.  The force pushed her further backward, cramming her body into Kylo's.  

“Uhhh… Kylo…” Rey trailed off, trying to adjust to this strange feeling.  

“You’ll be alright,” he said behind her.  She could feel a smile grow on his face; he was making fun of her.  Looking back out the windshield, Rey watched as the surface changed into a glistening sea under the sun’s setting rays.  This would be her last time looking at this planet, but the thrill of the ship rushing out of the atmosphere was enough to distract her thoughts.  She looked back up at the sky, feeling slightly nauseous.  

“Here we go,” Kylo said while sliding a lever forward.  The ship sped up and then, they were in space.  Rey leaned forward to look at the sun and moons surrounding the bright planet.  Looking around, she noticed some shrapnel had fallen into one of the moon’s orbits.   _ Must have been from the firefight,  _ she thought.  Kylo followed her gaze and swallowed hard.  

“What?” she asked.  He leaned back into the chair.

“That’s a piece of one of my fleet’s ships,” he said in a controlled, monotone voice.  Rey leaned back, taking her eyes away from the shrapnel.  She was tired of sharing his pain, pain that was caused by so much death.  She curled her tail up on Kylo’s lap to comfort herself, and hopefully him as well.  He looked at her, his brown eyes thankful.  She looked away as they sailed through the empty blackness.  Rey clutched tight to the shell in her hands.  She couldn’t deny that she was nervous, hell, Kylo probably felt it, too, but Rey had to hold on to a piece of herself, one that connected her to her past.  Her mother’s image blurred in her mind once more and then slowly faded away. 

The tingling started again and before she knew it, her tail formed into two legs.  They were propped up on Kylo’s lap and he shifted as the weight changed.  This time, Rey didn’t know how long she’d be stuck this way.  It seemed that most people had legs, at least from what Kylo had implied.  She’d have to get used to walking from now on.  

“You think so loudly,” Kylo stated aloud.  

“Stop listening,” Rey demanded, her voice deep.

“Have you not realized that I can’t?  If I had the choice, I’d stay away.  Something won’t let me block you out,” he muttered while leaning forward to press a button.  Rey almost felt hurt that he’d choose to stay out of her head, but also was relieved that it wasn’t by choice.  She chose to be stubborn to him in person, but there was only so much she could hide when her thoughts were exposed.  

“Where are we going?” Rey asked.  She didn’t know what was going to happen next.  The plan was out of her control now, and it made her weary.  Rey knew she could trust Kylo, but she was still hesitant of his judgement.  

“Thanks,” he spat out sarcastically, reminding Rey that he could hear her every thought.  

“Ugh.  Can you blame me, though?  I’ve seen the hurt in you and the pain you’ve caused others.  The last time you tried to complete a mission you fell from the sky and onto my turf,” she retorted.  Rey looked out the side window and felt the anger grow in Kylo.  

“I got us off, didn’t I?  Trust me for once,” he growled.  

“And you would’ve died if not for me,” she said, snapping her head around and narrowing her eyes at him.  

“I would have.  You, on the other hand, would’ve been stuck there your whole life instead of finding out who you are,” Kylo muttered.  He kept his focus on the space ahead.  Rey looked down and took in a deep breath.  He was right, even though she didn’t want to admit it.  

“We’re going to enter light speed.  Lean back into me,” he said.  Positioning another lever, he moved it forward and bam!  Rey was pressed further into Kylo Ren as the stars blurred together.  Rey gasped, surprised by the beauty of the moment and the jerk of the ship.  

“We’ll be like this for a while,” he said.  As Rey’s body got used to the forces at play, she was able to move forward.  

“You’re right.  It does get cold up here,” she said, gathering parts of the cape closer to her body.  

“Lean into my chest,” Kylo stated.

“What?” 

“My body will keep you warm.  It’s okay,” he said, still focused on the controls.  Rey found herself curling into his chest and re-adjusting herself on his lap.  

A few moments of silence passed between them.  The sound of the ship zooming through the stars was comforting, and Rey found herself exhausted.  She closed her eyes, hoping to sleep, but the thoughts in her mind kept racing, begging to be heard.  To hush them, Rey decided to discover more about Kylo Ren.

“Why do you shelter your happiness behind so much darkness?  I can tell it’s begging to be released,” she asked, breaking the silence.  Rey looked up at him and felt his body tense.  He clenched his jaw and pressed his lips together.

“Rey, I can’t do this right now,” he said quietly, his tone choked.

“When else are you going to tell me?” she asked, feeling the worry resonate throughout his body.  She backed away from him and looked into his eyes.  They were filled with so much pain.  Rey lifted a hand and placed it on his shoulder.  He never broke her gaze, but shuddered slightly when she touched him.  Leaning forward, Rey rested her forehead against his.  She took in his scent and let his burden be shared with her.  Closing her eyes, Rey relaxed her body.

That’s when she understood everything.  Rey saw the conflict tearing him apart.  Reds and whites blended together, striking a terrifying combination that screamed for help.  Her heart felt broken as she witnessed memories of his past; a man he trusted trying to murder him, parents arguing and screaming as he covered his ears in the next room, darkness creeping into his mind at night, a man hurting him, pretending to guide him.  Rey opened her eyes and felt the tears roll down her face.  She backed away from Kylo Ren and watched him take a deep breath.  

“Ben…” she whispered.  Kylo’s eyes were wet, but he tried to hold it back.  He looked at her as she placed her palm on his cheek.  “That’s your real name,” she softly said.  

“Now you know,” he looked down.  His black hair fell down and hid his face from Rey.  She dropped her hand from him and turned back to look out the windows.   _ How can the galaxies with such beauty create such hatred?  _ she wondered.  Rey wiped the tears away with the back of her hand.

“You feel stuck,” she said, trying to sort through all of the thoughts pushed into her mind.  Kylo moved behind her and sat up straight again.  It was the truth; she felt it in him.  He couldn't leave the darkness because the light had rejected him.  

“We’re about to exit lightspeed,” he told her.  His voice was choked up and quiet.  Kylo Ren had finally shared the truth with her.  Rey would take anything she could get from him, and she’d seen enough for now.  The darkness and abuse in his life was prominent, but now all she wanted was for him to choose the right path.   _ Maybe I could help him…  _ she wondered.

“Hold onto me,” he said.  Kylo turned down a lever and the ship slowed drastically.  Rey held onto the chair as the shift tried to force her forward.  

“Welcome to a new galaxy,” Kylo said as a planet came into view.  

The ship cruised forward and Rey watched intently from the window.   _ We did it,  _ she thought.  

Rey looked back at Ben and watched him push the pain back down.  

"You have to let the past die.  That's the only way to keep moving forward," he said.  Rey looked away and kept quiet.  No matter what he said, the past wasn't dead.  It kept him up at night instead.  


	10. Jakku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ship sputtered again, this time wobbling off course, then adjusting back to normal. Kylo’s original plan would have to be put to the side. The ship wasn’t going to make it, even with the little bit of fuel they had left. Kylo wracked his brain, trying to figure out if he improperly wired the spaceship or if the engine was just giving up from being underwater for so long. He’d wondered how long the vessel had even been on that planet, but couldn’t come to a proper conclusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this hasn't been updated in a bit. I haven't had internet access to post it and was dealing with some family stuff, but it's all good! Anyway, I tried to write this chapter more from Kylo's perspective. So enjoy ya nerds! Find me @thecatmeowsalot on tumblr. (Also, I don't know how many moons Jakku has, but let's pretend it has four. Four is a cool number.)

Rey looked out the window at the passing planet.  From her view it was quite somber and bland; nothing but a sandy color spread across the surface.  Still, the joy of seeing something other than water made her giddy. Rey let out a large gasp as they circled past the system.  “There are  _ four _ moons!” she squealed, overwhelmed by the small differences that she’d never considered to be possible.

Kylo grinned behind her, enjoying Rey’s child like excitement while she observed the surroundings.  It felt as though this was a gift she deserved to see, and Kylo was pleased with himself that he was the one who could give it to her.  As much as Kylo wanted to fly around and make her happy, he began to notice the fuel supply was running low. 

“We’re going to have to land soon.  Luckily the system I need to land on is nearby.  I just hope we can make it,” Kylo said. Rey turned around, her demeanor suddenly full of worry.  

“ _ Are _ we going to make it?” she asked.  Getting off that planet was the one thing that gave Rey hope.  She hadn’t thought about the schematics of leaving, let alone where she would go.  Now that they were off, finding a place to land was something she had let Kylo worry about.   _ Maybe I should have had a clear plan,  _ she thought.

“We’re going to be perfectly fine.  Stop stressing. What part of ‘trust me’ did you not understand?” Kylo asked, meeting her gaze.  

After the last word escaped his mouth, the ship started to sputter.  The jerk caused Rey to collide her head against Kylo’s and then the window.  He cursed under his breath as Rey fell limp in his lap. Raising a hand to his head, he felt the sore spot on the side of his forehead and winced at the pain.  

“That hurt,” he growled.  When he didn’t get a response, Kylo Ren looked down and noticed Rey was unconscious.  Kylo felt a worry encapsulate his body, but tried to stay calm. Looking at the window, he noticed a crack where her head must have bounced off of.  Luckily the glass hadn’t split to the outside yet, but if the ship jerked around anymore, it definitely could. Small shards in the crack were red with blood, as was Rey’s temple.  A huge gash spread across her forehead, bleeding to no end. Kylo immediately adjusted her body so she wasn’t uncomfortably placed against him. He tried to shake her a bit to wake her, but to no avail.   _ This is bad,  _ Kylo thought.  

“Fuck,” he said aloud, sweat beginning to bead under his lip.  He ripped a piece of the cape from her body and wrapped it tightly around her head to try to stop the bleeding.

The ship sputtered again, this time wobbling off course, then adjusting back to normal.  Kylo’s original plan would have to be put to the side. The ship wasn’t going to make it, even with the little bit of fuel they had left.  Kylo wracked his brain, trying to figure out if he improperly wired the spaceship or if the engine was just giving up from being underwater for so long.  He’d wondered how long the vessel had even been on that planet, but couldn’t come to a proper conclusion.

But the time to think about all of this wasn’t now.  He needed to find a place to land, and quick. Kylo looked back down at Rey.  At least she was breathing. He didn’t know how bad the damage was, but he knew she needed medical attention.  They were going to have to land on the barren planet they just passed. Kylo turned the ship around despite the sputtering.  Rey was quiet against his chest, and the longer he went without hearing her thoughts, the more concerned he was. 

The ship was making its best efforts to not let him fly, but Kylo was determined.  Nearing the planet, Kylo sped the ship up, thinking only about getting Rey to the help she required.  Pushing buttons with one hand and straightening Rey’s slumping body with the other, he began entering the planet’s atmosphere.  But despite his best efforts, he knew this would be a crash landing. That’s when a loud metal scraping noise sung out amongst the cockpit.  He looked at his controls and sure enough, the ship had lost the engine.  _ That  _ definitely _ wasn’t my doing,  _ he thought.  As the surface came closer and closer, Kylo tried his best to pull up the ship.  It would give them more air time and hopefully an easier landing. Through all of this, the ship wasn’t slowing down, but rather felt as if it was speeding up.  Kylo took a deep breath and bit his lip. He was going to make this ship land steadily -he had to- for Rey.

Sandy particles rushed upwards by the wind, blocking Kylo’s sight.  The surface was close now, he could feel it. He grunted while trying to lift the controls, straining to keep the ship above the ground.  The sand cleared itself of the windshield, and he noticed they were only a few feet off the ground. The sandy floor was racing past them, the ship smoking into the passing desert.  Kylo felt the ship beginning to give out all while too close to the sand. 

“It’s now or never,” he muttered under his breath, bracing himself for impact and holding Rey’s motionless body tightly against his body.  With his other hand, Kylo lowered the ship. The jerk was worse than when he’d crashed into the ocean. His body was sent flying forward and if it hadn’t been for his seat belt, he would’ve flown forward.  Kylo held Rey tight against his body, muscles straining as he fought all the forces trying to push his body out of the pilot’s seat. He was sweating from the heat and adrenaline and clenched his jaw tightly.  

Finally, the ship slowed to a stop, making a crater in the sand.  

“Welcome to Jakku,” he said aloud, taking a moment to breath.  Somehow Rey had managed to stay unconscious throughout the entire descent.   _ She got lucky,  _ he thought to himself.  If Rey were awake for that, she would have handled herself horribly.  At least that’s what he thought.

Kylo Ren managed to swap positions with Rey to stand over her.  He opened the cockpit and looked out at the long sandy trail the spaceship had carved.  Unfortunately, parts of the ship were still on fire. He got out of the ship and positioned himself on its side and reached in for Rey, somehow managing to lift her up and out.  With her in his arms, he carefully crawled down the side of the ship. Kylo walked as far as his legs would take him before he fell to his knees, placing Rey on the sand. The exhaustion in his body was reappearing, much more violent this time around.  Kylo sat down and turned back to watch the fire consume the metal. The suns here were hot, and Kylo felt the longing of thirst once more. It was a feeling he was becoming all too familiar with; that and crashing. After a minute of catching his breath, Kylo stood up and decided to set off on foot.  He knew there were outposts on Jakuu, he just had to find them. 

Kylo closed his eyes and tried to feel for other life forces.  Soon enough, he had a direction in mind to follow. The quicker he could get Rey help, the better.  He lifted her motionless body and placed one hand under her back and one under her legs. He knew this would be a long walk, but he had to do it.  For her.

 

——————

 

After a few hours of walking in an endless desert, Kylo saw the glimpse of an outpost.  The idea of safety slightly reenergized him, giving Kylo the determination to walk a bit faster.  The sun was scorching and endless and his black clothes did nothing but cause more heat. Sweat poured out of every pore of his body, drenching his clothing and eventually Rey.  He didn’t know he had this much water left in his body. Kylo’s arms ached with the weight of Rey, but he wouldn’t dare think about dropping her. His lightsaber stabbed his leg every time he took a step, but he was resilient.  One thing the darkness had taught him was persistence. Nothing could stop a man with a purpose. 

Soon enough Kylo had reached the edge of the outpost, but his luck had run out.  He fell over, Rey running through his hands like a waterfall. All of the energy used trying to keep himself alive had finally been spent.  Kylo fell over, cheek hitting the sand. The blackness blurred his vision and his ears felt clogged. Then, nothing.

 

——————

 

Rey woke up in a tent, sweat running down her back.  She was resting on a cot of sorts.  _ Where am I?  _ she wondered.  Rey looked around and saw Kylo unconscious beside her and a man placing a wet towel on his forehead.

“What happened?” she asked, her throat dry.  As she tried to sit up, the man ran over to her.

“Don’t do that.  You may get very dizzy,” he stated while helping her back down.  The man was tall but very skinny. He had bright blonde hair and blue eyes.  His jaw bones were very distinct, making it seem as if he were starving.

Rey reached her hand up to her temples and winced at the pain.

“I had to give you stitches.  You had a pretty nasty gash there.  And you got a concussion,” he said slowly as not to frighten her.  

“Where am I?” Rey repeated, somehow still very tired.  

“You’re at Nima Outpost on Jakku,” he said.  Rey looked around her and noticed sand on the floor.  She didn’t understand a word he said, but putting a name to the place gave her some comfort.

“Wait, does this planet have four moons?” she asked.  The man nodded. 

_ Oh god, we must have crashed.  Kylo must’ve circled back to this planet to get us to safety,  _ she thought.  Rey looked over at Kylo and watched as his chest rose and fell with each breath he took.  Before Rey could ask what happened to him, the man told her.

“Someone saw him walking over from the edge of the desert.  He dropped you and then blacked out. Don’t worry, he’ll be alright.  It’s just heat stroke and dehydration. Happens all the time here in this desert.  After this IV sets in, he should be good as new,” he stated matter of factly. 

Rey looked over to the tent’s opening and saw two shadows covering the door.  One of them stopped at the entrance while the other moved aside some of the fabric and let himself in.  This person was in white body armor with a gun in his hands. 

“Has the Supreme Leader awoken?” a metallic voice asked.  Rey looked back at the skinny man who had straightened up.  She could feel his nerves bouncing off him from her bed.

“Not yet.  It’s best that we don’t move him until he wakes up,” the skinny man responded.  Rey assumed the man in white armor was a soldier of sorts. He motioned for the skinny man to follow him out of the tent, leaving Rey alone with an unconscious Kylo.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. For the first time in a long time, she felt truly scared. Rey was no longer in control of this situation and the only other person she mostly trusted wasn’t exactly awake either.

Rey tried to listen to the voices outside the tent, but couldn’t make out any distinct words.  She looked over at Kylo and studied his long black hair. He was drenched as well as his clothing, but he was safe.  He had somehow managed to bring Rey to safety and didn’t leave her side once. She was suddenly overwhelmed by appreciation and wanted nothing more than for him to wake up so she could thank him.  Even though she was stubborn around him, she couldn’t deny that he made her stomach flutter. 

The desperate need to touch him and make sure he was alright rang throughout her body.  Rey reached her arm out and placed her hand on his bicep. Kylo was hot to the touch, but she was glad to feel that his life force was strong.  

“You’re going to be okay,” she whispered.  Rey let her arm drop and looked up at the tent’s ceiling.  Nothing but canvas blocked the scorching sun, and what a difference it could make.  Rey closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 

“Rey?” she heard a deep voice muster.  Kylo Ren was awake. 


	11. The Shuttle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What is this?” he asked. Rey met his gaze and shook her head, confused.
> 
> “A power?” Rey looked up at the tent’s ceiling canvas and closed her eyes, trying to feel the energy surging in their bodies. That’s when Kylo broke the connection by lifting his hand away. Rey opened her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to write longer chapters now guys! Hope you like it! Got some serious surprises planned:) Find me @thecatmeowsalot on tumblr!

“Are you alright?” Kylo mustered in a croaky voice.  Rey looked over at him. His eyes were red and dry, his lips cracked and bleeding.  Despite his appearance, Rey was overwhelmed with relief. She felt her heart speed up, the knot in her stomach disappearing.

“I’m okay.  Thank you. For getting me help.  I didn’t think you’d do such a thing for me…” Rey smiled, a tear falling down her face.  She was suddenly very emotional, overwhelmed by the last few days.

“Why wouldn’t I?  You’ve done so much for me already,” Kylo said, his brow furrowed.  Rey took a deep breath. She didn’t want to admit that despite the feelings she had for him, she still hadn’t known if he was trustworthy.  How wrong she was proven when she discovered Kylo had carried Rey through a barren desert just to get her medical attention. 

“Ah.  Well, you’re welcome,” he said, reminding Rey that he could read her thoughts.  Rey looked away and took a deep breath.

“What happened to the ship?” she asked.  Kylo went silent for a moment, trying to think.  She could feel the wires in his brain working.

“I think..... I think that the ship’s engine had rusted from being underwater for so long.  It started sputtering and that’s when you hit your head. I had to crash land us on this planet.  The engine fell off when we entered the atmosphere, and then we ended up miles from this outpost,” Kylo said.  “I carried you the whole way,” he added after a moment of hesitation. Rey looked back at him; he seemed small.  

“Thank you,” she said again.  Rey reached her arm out and placed her hand on his bicep.  Kylo tensed up. She could feel how little energy he still held, but he was somehow content.  Kylo reached his opposite hand and rested it on top of Rey’s. The feeling radiated like a shock throughout both of their bodies.  Rey let out a shaky breath, adjusting to energy pulsing in their bodies. Kylo started breathing faster.

“What is this?” he asked.  Rey met his gaze and shook her head, confused.

“A power?”  Rey looked up at the tent’s ceiling canvas and closed her eyes, trying to feel the energy surging in their bodies.  That’s when Kylo broke the connection by lifting his hand away. Rey opened her eyes and noticed the white armored man had entered the tent.  She dropped her hand as the man stopped in front of Kylo’s bed.

“Supreme Leader.  We are here to take you to the Star Destroyer,” he said.   _ Star Destroyer?  _ Rey thought.  The man in white armor looked to Rey.  “We can take her, too,” he said. Kylo Ren nodded.

“When do we leave?” he asked.  

“As soon as you are ready, sir,” the armored man replied.  “We can have medical droids aid you on the shuttle.”

“How did you find us?” Kylo asked.

“You can thank General Hux for that, sir,” he responded.  Kylo growled. The man walked out of the tent again, leaving the two alone.

“He’s only trying to find me to have everyone forget that was captured by the Rebel Alliance.  I’m surprised he didn’t try to take the throne while I was gone,” Kylo told Rey. She sat up, as did Kylo.  

“We should go, then,” Rey said.  Kylo nodded and got out of the bed slowly, standing up.  She forgot how tall he was compared to her. Rey stood up, using the bed as a balancing tool.  Kylo walked over to her and placed a hand around her waist.

“Will you be able to walk to the shuttle?” he asked.  Rey looked up at him, watching his brown eyes study her.  

“I’ll certainly try,” she said back.  Rey took his hand off of her waist and slowly moved forward.  She made sure to carefully place one foot in front of the next.  The sandy floor gathered into the curves of her feet, a feeling she’d never experienced.  Rey stopped and looked at the sand. She shifted her feet around, enjoying the new experience.  Kylo smiled at her. 

Rey looked up and made her way to the tent’s door.  She moved the fabric to the side and was momentarily blinded by the sun.  Rey reached her arm up and to cover her eyes. Catching herself off balance, she ended up tumbling over, her knees hitting the sand.  Kylo let out a small laugh behind her and Rey turned her head up to stare him down. 

“I’ll carry you from here,” he stated.  Rey tried to impose, but he’d already had his arms under her back and legs.  Carrying her bridal style, they made their way into the windy desert. The two soldiers were about a hundred yards away guarding a shuttle of sorts.  

“That doesn’t look like the one you crashed in,” Rey noted.  

“That’s because we have many different ships.  Ones for transportation and others for war,” Kylo stated matter of factly.  Rey looked back at the men guarding the shuttle.

“They’re soldiers?” Rey asked, trying to confirm her suspicions.

“Stormtroopers.  Yes.”

Rey nodded.  The two approached the shuttle and walked up a ramp, entering a dark cabin.  The two stormtroopers followed and walked past them to the cockpit, a door closing them off from Kylo and Rey.  A small astromech droid rolled over, beeping excitedly.

“This is BB-9E.  It’s one of my personal assistant droids,” Kylo said.  Rey looked down at the black spherical piece of metal. 

“A droid?” she asked.  “How can a piece of metal function on its own?”  Kylo let out a soft laugh. 

“It’s made to be this way.  It thinks and fixes issues for the moment until a technician can see to them,” Kylo smiled.  He put Rey down on a bench and sat down beside her. Kylo patted the side of the droid and listened to it beep offendedly.  

“He’s upset you called him a piece of metal,” Kylo said, raising an eyebrow at Rey.  

“Oh.  I’m sorry,” she responded.  The round astromech beeped again and rolled away.  It fixed itself to a wall, preparing for take off. 

“That was strange,” she whispered to Kylo Ren.  

“Well then get ready for the world you’re about to see,” he said in response.  

The shuttle door closed as the ship lifted off the ground.  Rey looked around and noticed the lack of windows in the cabin.  She felt claustrophobic, closing her eyes to try to calm herself.  All she’d ever known was an open sea, and suddenly that was gone and replaced with a dark confined area.  Kylo placed a hand on the top of her back to ease her worry, but the power surging between the two surprised her.  Rey jerked back from his touch. Kylo looked at his hand in astonishment. 

“I really wish that would stop happening,” he said.  Rey looked up at him, curious. She placed her hand in the air in front of him.  Her hand was straight, waiting for Kylo to lift his hand and place it against hers.  He looked into her eyes, trying to figure out her plan, but she didn’t have one. He raised his hand, hesitant to place it against hers.  

“Go on.  We won’t understand anything unless we do this,” Rey said.  Kylo nodded. He slowly moved his hand to hers, the heat radiating off of one another’s skin.  Then they were touching. The energy flowed once more between each of them. Rey kept her hand pressed against his and felt a change occuring in her body.  She looked down at herself, the power surging through her blood. As she looked back up at Kylo, she noticed his red eyes were returning to normal and his cracked, bloody lips were smooth again.  With her other hand, Rey reached up to her forehead and felt for the gash on her temple, but it had disappeared. Then the energy disappeared, her head feeling much more clear. She looked at their hands still pressed together, but felt nothing anymore.

“It healed us…” Rey said, exasperated.  

“You must have a strong power as well,” Kylo said, stunned by the miracle.  “Who are you?” he repeated for yet another time. Kylo was mostly talking to himself, but Rey still answered.  “That’s what I’m trying to find out,” she whispered. Rey dropped her hand and looked away. 

“Then we will try to figure it out as soon as we reach the Star Destroyer.  Guess we won’t need those medical droids anymore.” He paused, looking over at a wall.  “Give me a moment,” he said while standing up. Kylo walked over to a wall with compartments in it, and pressed one.  It opened up, revealing a wall full of clothing. Kylo looked around and grabbed a long, dark garment. He unfolded it, revealing a beautiful black dress.  He turned around and asked Rey to stand. She did and he placed it up against her body. 

“Seems like it might be a good fit,” Kylo stated.  “Go try it on.” He handed the dress to Rey and she looked around.  

“ _ Is _ there a place to try it on?” she asked.  Kylo pointed to a wall. 

“Press that button and it’ll form a barrier around your body,” he said.  Kylo sat down once more and watched Rey slowly walk over. 

She reached the wall and pressed the large button on the panel.  Sure enough, a fold up wall fell from the ceiling, surrounding Rey.  A mirror was on one of the sections, showing her reflection. Rey leaned into the mirror, studying her face.  She’d never actually seen what she looked like before; at least not in detail. She was astounded at the figure looking back at her.  Rey put a hand on her hair and stroked it, placing it in front of her shoulder. She also looked at the cape that wrapped her body. It was wearing down, the blackness coloring fading away.  She placed the dress on the ground and untied the cape from her body. Exposed, Rey looked at her body in the mirror. Her legs and waist were unfamiliar to her. No matter how long she looked at them, they never would be part of her like her tail was.  She spent so much time swimming that being on land still felt so wrong. But finding her calling and her family was more important that being uncomfortable. 

Rey picked up the black dress and slipped it over her body.  It was long, covering her legs and barely touching the floor.  She was relieved that her body was covered, hiding the insecurities she wouldn’t have to see.  The dress had a low neckline, showing off parts of her chest. Rey looked in the mirror and was taken aback.  It fit against her well, flowing gently down her body and showing off her lovely curves. 

Rey looked at her hair and thought its length was too long.  Looking around, Rey found another panel covering the wall. She pressed it, revealing a bunch of tools inside.  Sorting through them, she came across a pair of sharp blades. Holding them up to her hair, Rey cut a strand off.  As the weight disappeared from her body, her confidence rose. Brown strands covered the floor, making a mess of the cape.  As she finished, Rey looked into the mirror and was taken aback by her appearance. She felt beautiful, something that had never mattered to her before.  

Rey placed the blades back into the panel and closed it.  She looked around and pressed the button, moving the panels upward into the ceiling once more.  Kylo turned to look at her and froze when he saw her figure. Rey smiled awkwardly, looking down at the floor.  Kylo stood up and walked over to her, his black hair swaying as he moved. 

“You look beautiful,” he said.  Rey looked up at him and smiled.  His brown eyes seemed pleased. Kylo held out his hands and Rey took them.  They walked back to the bench and sat down together. On the bench were a pair of boots.  

“I couldn’t find any shoes nicer than these.  Luckily the dress will cover them,” Kylo said.  Rey looked at them.

“How do I put them on?” she asked.  Kylo smiled and grabbed one shoe, suddenly kneeling in front of her.  Rey held out a leg and watched as Kylo slipped the boot on her foot, tightening up the laces.  She watched intently as he did the same to the other foot.

“We’re coming up on the Star Destroyer,” a metallic voice rung out.  Rey looked at Kylo, nerves fluttering in her stomach.

“It’s okay.  You’re presentable now,” he said in a low voice.  Kylo got back up on the bench. 

The shuttle jerked a bit as they came to a stop.   _ Here we go,  _ she thought as the shuttle landed.  

The door slid downwards, smoke appearing and blocking her view.  Rey took a deep breath and stood up, preparing to face an army.


	12. The Destroyer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “UGH!” Rey screamed, her voice echoing down the halls. The lack of sleep and Kylo's bizarre attitude were exhausting her. Way ahead, Kylo stopped and turned. He looked at her and watched as she observed a tear in the dress. Kylo walked back over to her and squatted.
> 
> “Come with me,” he said sternly. Kylo stood up and extended a hand to Rey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my class was cancelled today so more chapters for you guys! Enjoy this one! Getting more mermaid action, as promised. Find me @thecatmeowsalot on Tumblr!

Rey walked forward to the edge of the door, waiting for the smoke to clear.  Kylo joined her, holding his arm out for her. Rey furrowed her brow and looked at him, not understanding the gesture.  He nodded his head at his arm, trying to get her to take it. Rey rolled her eyes and placed her arm in his.  BB-9E rolled over and joined them. Together, they walked down the ramp and were faced with a room full of stormtroopers.  Rey gasped, unable to contain her nervous jitters. A red carpet lead them through the center of large groups of commanders and soldiers. Their shiny white armor reflected in the dark black floor.  In the center of the carpet was a man with bright red hair. He stood there, a smirk on his face. 

“Who is that?” Rey asked under her breath.  His presence was startling and the tension between Kylo and the man was palpable for what instead should have been a joyous occasion.  

“General Hux,” Kylo muttered, frustrated.

A loud, shrill voice congratulated Kylo Ren on his returning.  “Our Supreme Leader has returned everyone!” General Hux boomed.  The stormtroopers stayed quiet, as did the commanders. “Well… why is everyone not clapping?” he asked.  A sparse amount of clapping rose from the back of the groups, but nothing more than that. General Hux, however, was clapping like it was the end of a big show.  

Rey was walking slowly, still getting used to moving her legs.  Kylo slowed his pace so she wouldn’t be dragged along. They eventually met the general in the center of the carpet.  

“Welcome back, Supreme Leader.  It was an honor serving while you were gone,” he said much too happily.

“Yes, you would’ve loved if I were gone longer, no?  Or would you have even been rescued if I hadn’t found your whereabouts?” Kylo responded smugly.  Hux swallowed hard, the veins in his neck popping out. He turned his head to the side and contained himself.  He caught Rey’s gaze and smiled, his teeth almost yellow against the extremely pale color of his skin.

“And who might this be?” he asked.  Before Rey could speak, Kylo cut her off and introduced her.  

“This is Rey.  She helped me escape the planet and get me back here, to my duty.  You should be thanking her,” he growled. Rey looked at Kylo Ren, noticing that he was only trying to mess with the general.  

“Of course.  Madame, thank you for bringing our Supreme Leader home,” he stated to her face.  Rey smiled nervously.

“We should find her a room,” Kylo said, starting to move forward.  Rey began walking with him and General Hux joined them at Kylo’s side.  

“Well, much has happened since you were last here.  We’ll have to meet with our commanders and update you,” he said in that shrill voice.  It made Rey want to squirm. He continued talking with Kylo about military details that ran over her head.  She was too focused on where they were going. At the end of the red carpet was a door that slid horizontally.  At the door, Kylo said goodbye to Hux and agreed to meet him later. They parted ways and Rey’s eyes grew large.  

“ _ That  _ is who you tried to save?   _ That’s  _ why you ended up crash landing on a planet where you almost died?” she asked, looking at Kylo. 

“Yeah, don’t remind me of that.  He is one piece of work that’ll never be improved,” Kylo growled.  Rey stopped moving as Kylo kept walking. He turned to look at her when he noticed she was no longer holding his arm.  The droid beside them beeped.

“Why did you want to come back here if you don’t even like it?” she asked, confused.  Kylo took a step towards her and took a deep breath. He took her left arm and continued walking.  Rey went along with him, questioning his strange behavior.

“Are you questioning your Supreme Leader?” he asked her.

“What?” Rey was taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor.  She stopped walking again and grabbed his arm, stopping Kylo.

“What is wrong with you?” she asked, her grip strong.  A stormtrooper walked past and stopped in his tracks.  He stared at them, a feeling a disbelief radiating from his body, surprised by Rey's grasp.

“Did I give you permission to encounter me?!” Kylo screamed at the man.  Kylo grabbed his light saber and lit it, striking the wall beside the stormtrooper.  The man turned quickly and kept walking past them, disappearing down the hall. Rey let go of his arm and took a step back.  She couldn't believe he'd just done such a thing. 

“Rey, you can’t talk to me like that here,” he said very quietly, pronouncing every syllable.  

_“_ What the hell was that?!  And why can't I talk to you _like that?_ Why’d you let me talk to you _like that_ in every other conversation we’ve had?” she snapped back.

“Just follow me,” he growled, turning and walking further down the long hallway.  Rey stood still, just to spite him. But she knew he wouldn’t stop, so eventually Rey tried to hurry up and meet his side, but realized she didn’t know how to run.  After a few steps she fell on the ground, and hard. 

“UGH!” Rey screamed, her voice echoing down the halls.  The lack of sleep and Kylo's bizarre attitude were exhausting her.  Way ahead, Kylo stopped and turned. He looked at her and watched as she observed a tear in the dress.  Kylo walked back over to her and squatted.

“Come with me,” he said sternly.  Kylo stood up and extended a hand to Rey.  She took it hesitantly and he helped her stand up.  The droid beeped at Rey, bumping itself into her leg.  

“Don’t make her fall again,” Kylo snapped at the astromech.  

Rey walked quietly with him through the halls, still confused about his sudden demeanor.  She tried not to think about how it scared her. He was the only thing she had to care about, and now if she couldn’t get her answers because of his actions, she’d be stuck on this ship.  Rey had seen the anger in him when she'd entered his mind, but witnessing a snippet of it frightened her. She knew Kylo could also hear her every thought, but Rey didn’t care. He needed to know that what he did wasn’t okay.  

They reached a door and Kylo pressed buttons on a side panel.  It slid open, revealing a large room with a big bed. Kylo held his hand out, motioning for Rey to enter.  She stepped into the room and was taken aback by the shiny black walls and floor. There were windows that covered the entire side of the ship, giving her a view into open space.  BB-9E stayed outside after Kylo whispered to him.  The door slid shut behind them, leaving the two alone.

“I know you wanted to look at the stars,” he said as Rey walked over to the windows.  

“What happened to you out there?” she asked, turning to look at him.  Kylo looked down at the floor. “You act like that to your soldiers?” 

“They expect it from me,” he stated in a monotone voice.

“It doesn’t matter what they expect.  They’re still people… I’ve…never seen you like that before,” she said, startled at how different he could be in the snap of his fingers.  “You’ve been mad at me before, but that’s different than being evil,” she mustered. Kylo looked back up and walked over to her. Rey took a step back, stopping Kylo in his tracks.

“So you think I’m still evil,” he said.

“No.  I  _ know  _ you’re pretending to be like that.  I know you feel stuck. And I know that the pain and anger is killing you inside.  I felt it the minute we stepped off the ship. This place is bad for you, Kylo,” Rey said.  “And don’t worry. I won’t go around talking to you in front of your subjects anymore.”  Rey rolled her eyes and turned around. She looked out at the stars and felt a tear drip down her face.

“You’re right,” he said behind her.  Rey froze. She knew it was the truth, but hearing him admit it was different.  Rey turned back and looked at him. His brown eyes were full of sadness and confusion.  

“I am pretending.  I just don’t know what to do.  There’s nothing I can do,” he said, licking his lips.  Rey walked over to him and placed a hand on his cheek. 

“There’s always something you can do,” she responded.  Kylo shook his head and looked to the side. Rey used her other hand to gently move his gaze back on hers.  He stared at her, watching tears fall from her face. He raised his hands to her cheeks and wiped the tears away, keeping his palms on her skin.  

“I just didn’t want to see that part of you,” she said softly.  Kylo took her in his arms and held her. She let a few more tears fall, sniffling in his shirt.  After Rey had calmed down, she let him go, breaking the hug. An awkward moment passed before he spoke again.

“Well, there’s one more thing you might like about this room,” he said.  Kylo held his hand out to her and Rey took it, following him to another door.  He opened it and let her inside. Rey gasped and smiled, feeling an overwhelming sense of joy rush throughout her body.  

“I thought you might like a piece of home,” Kylo said.  Rey looked out at the large pool in front of her. 

“You just have pools connected to the rooms here?” she asked, still smiling.  

“Not exactly.  Our stormtroopers do water training here.  I’m going to close it off for you. There just happened to be a door that connected to a bedroom, for emergency exits,” Kylo said. 

Rey walked over to the water and lifted her dress up.  She sat on the edge of the pool and put her feet in. In a matter of milliseconds her legs were tingling again.  Rey looked down and watched as her two legs formed together into her tail. She reached down and felt her scales, admiring the feeling she'd almost forgotten.  Rey looked up and noticed the pool went up to a large window that showed the passing galaxy. Her tail reflected the stars, making Rey smile. 

“I thought you’d like it,” he said.  Rey looked back up at him, her smile causing Kylo to forget about his pain momentarily.  She looked back down at the water, excited.

“I think I’ll be able to swim quicker with my hair cut now,” she exclaimed.  Rey pulled the dress over her body, exposing her chest. Kylo turned away to give her privacy, but heard her splash as she entered the water.  Turning back, he saw her figure twist and turn, exploring the area. She swam up to the window and looked out, observing the passing stars and planets.  

In a whim, Kylo took off his clothes, leaving only his boxers on.  He dove into the water and swam over to her. Rey heard a noise and looked back, surprised at how close Kylo was to her.  She smiled as they treaded water, watching the passing space. He looked over at her, his dark black hair dripping. Rey felt her hair sway around as her ends touched the water.  

“I didn’t want to come back.  I just wanted to be with you,” Kylo told Rey.  She looked at him and moved closer. 

“This is a great way for just the two of us to be alone.  When you have time, at least,” Rey responded. Kylo put his hand on her waist and Rey placed her hands on his shoulders.  She kept them afloat using little energy, enjoying his skin against hers. She looked at his brown eyes and her heart fluttered. His wet hair smelled musky, just like he did, but she loved it regardless.  Rey could feel the heat of his skin against hers. Kylo reached another hand up and placed it on her face. 

“I want to be who you see me as,” he whispered.  

Kylo leaned his head in until she could feel his breath on her skin.  Then, their lips touched. Rey’s heart exploded as she leaned further into his kiss.  A quick peck became a lingering kiss, the feeling of his plump lips against hers causing Rey's head to spin.  Kylo backed away and looked at her, his eyes full of passion. She tried to catch her breath, cursing Kylo for taking it away.  Then he grabbed her waist and pulled Rey back in for more. She smiled through the kiss, enjoying the feeling of his lips on hers.  She found her tail circling Kylo’s legs, attempting to bring the two even closer. With her lips on his, she felt a balance. Their lips interlocked, losing time as they held each other.  

At some point they separated, leaving Rey giddy.  Rey let herself sink underwater and squealed to herself.  Kylo laughed, his deep voice radiating across the room. Rey came back up and smiled at him.  She’d fallen in love with a good man. He just didn’t believe it yet.


	13. A Vision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey opened her eyes, a bright light filtering in through the large windows. She was confused at first, but then remembered the last day. It had felt like forever since she’d gotten a decent amount of sleep. After Kylo had left the night before, Rey let herself dry by the pool side. All she could think about was the feeling of his lips on hers, but at some point she went back to the bedroom. Rey laid on the bed, her mind elsewhere, and apparently had fallen asleep. It seemed like anytime she tried to sleep lately, there was just another dream to wake her up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I was a bit confused for a while about where I would go from the last chapter. I have a big overall plan in mind and was having some writer's block on how to get there. I think this chapter is opening up some good opportunities to do what I want with the story. And keep in mind, if you guys have suggestions, I love reading them and possibly incorporating them. (Hint hint, wink wink.) Anyway, enjoy ya reylo nerds! Find me @thecatmeowsalot on tumblr!

_ There was darkness.  Nothing but a comforting emptiness enveloped her body.  Rey was suddenly aware of a smooth metal in her hand. She turned it round in her fingers until she felt a raised button.  As she pressed it, the noise startled her. A long blue light brightened the sucked away the ebony around her. Rey looked upon it, listening to its gentle hum as she waved it back and forth.  It mesmerized her, the trace of the blue trying to catch up with the light. She raised it in the air, enjoying the feeling of the power she contained. Then a loud zing came from behind her, taking Rey out of her trance.  She turned around, her hair flipping behind her shoulder. A red light shone yards from her place. As she walked closer, Rey tried to place the dark figure behind the red light. The figure wouldn’t raise the beam, only lighting dark clothing it wore.   _

_ “Kylo?” Rey asked, remembering he had a red lightsaber.  Her voice was muffled in the dream state, echoing about.  She leaned in, squinting. Taking a few steps closer to the figure, Rey noticed she wasn’t actually moving forward.  Something wouldn’t let her see who it was.  _

_ The red beam raised, showing the black shirt of the man.  It had to be a man. He was tall and muscular, hidden behind a long cape.  He raised the red light, illuminating the face of Kylo Ren, startling Rey. It was him, but he was different somehow.  His face resonated an anger that she had only glimpsed before. She could feel the emotion radiating from his body, overwhelming her senses.   _

_ “I WILL DESTROY YOU!” he screamed, his voice deep and evil.  He pointed the red lightsaber at Rey. She lifted the blue beam, absentmindedly taking a defensive stance.   _

_ “What are you doing?” she asked, unsure if he could even hear her.   _

_ Then Kylo Ren charged at her.  She tried to back away, but to no avail.  She couldn’t move anywhere even if she tried.  Rey raised the blue lightsaber upward, startled by the man she thought she knew.  Then he reached her and raised his saber, wanting to strike Rey down. She pressed the blue beam into his red one.  His strength was astounding, but Rey had anger, too. He looked at her and she first noticed a long scar reaching down the right side of his face.  He was an animal, manic. Rey closed her eyes, focusing on her strength… _

Rey opened her eyes, a bright light filtering in through the large windows.  She was confused at first, but then remembered the last day. It had felt like forever since she’d gotten a decent amount of sleep.  After Kylo had left the night before, Rey let herself dry by the pool side. All she could think about was the feeling of his lips on hers, but at some point she went back to the bedroom.  Rey laid on the bed, her mind elsewhere, and apparently had fallen asleep. It seemed like anytime she tried to sleep lately, there was just another dream to wake her up. 

Rey rubbed her eyes and sat up.  She looked around the room, the vision of an angry, almost possessed Kylo Ren, appearing in her mind.  Rey cursed under her breath, wanting nothing more than to forget the dream. The day before had been so lovely and that was drastically replaced by an unsettling feeling in her stomach.  

_ It was only a dream,  _ she thought.   _ Nothing else.   _

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  Rey looked out the window and watched as the ship passed a nearby sun.  She stood up, stepping slowly to reach and look out the window. She wished her mind could stay empty, but the dream was clouding her thoughts.   _ If Kylo is near me, he’ll immediately know…  _ she cringed while thinking.  As much as having him be in her thoughts was annoying, there were still things she didn’t want him to know.  Rey felt oddly protective of the dream, but it was only a dream, right?   She reached the window and placed a hand on the glass. It was cold. She closed her eyes and placed her forehead on the glass, enjoying the cool temperature sink into her skin.  Even though she'd just woken up, all of these emotions were already tiring her.

Rey hadn’t heard the door open behind her.  She jumped when Kylo cleared his throat, trying to announce his presence.  She looked over her shoulder, suddenly aware that she was naked. 

“I noticed you’d fallen asleep.  You’ve been out for about 10 hours.  Guess you needed it. Umm, I brought you clothes, too,” he said, his voice much lighter than the one from her dream.  

“What dream?” he asked.  Rey dropped her head and bit her lip.  She looked over her shoulder. 

“Just a nightmare.  It was nothing. I’m okay,” she said just a bit too quickly.  

“Okay…,” he trailed off.  “Well, here’s a dress for you to wear.  I know I promised to help you find your parents, but that’s going to have to wait.  I have some things to attend to today,” he told her. Rey nodded, still looking out the glass. 

“Well, you slept through breakfast so I’ll come back and get you for lunch.  Goodbye for now,” he told her. Rey heard some rustling behind her, footsteps, and then a door shutting.  

She turned around and looked over at the dress on the bed.  It was heavy and black with red trimming.  _ All these clothes are all so dark colored,  _ Rey thought while walking over and picking it up.  She slipped it over her head and walked into the bathroom.  There were no sleeves and it cut off half way down her shins.  Rey twirled and felt the heavy fabric swiftly separate from her body.  

Rey looked in the mirror and sighed.  Her hair didn’t look right down with the dress.  She looked around and found a compartment in the wall.  Pressing it, the area opened and was filled with many different contraptions.  Rey found a round stretchy piece of fabric and decided to put her hair up. She’d never done her hair before, so she had to improvise.  But in the end, her hair looked like a round bun on the top of her head. Satisfied, Rey decided to find something else to place on her head.  She ended up finding a black crown of sorts and placed it on. It rested mostly on her forehead, but Rey liked the overall look. 

She went out of the bathroom and found the black heels from the day before.  Rey slipped them on and tried to walk around. She knew nothing of fashion but felt that this combination would look decent around the interesting armors of the soldiers on the ship.  

Rey hadn’t wanted to admit it to Kylo, but she was upset that he couldn’t help her find her parents right away.  She’d been waiting her whole life for a moment to be free of that planet so that she could get answers.  Now that she had left, there was nothing holding her back besides resources. Kylo was the only resource she had, but he was busy.  On top of the weird dream and this, she was confused and annoyed. Rey huffed and sat back on the bed. She placed her head in her hand and looked about the room.  After a moment of silence, Rey leaned back and stretched her arms out. She wished she could go swimming, but she didn’t want to have to get dressed another time. 

Rey closed her eyes and the face of Kylo Ren sprung into her mind.  The eyes that had been so gentle the day before were evil. They were hiding a truth behind them, masked only by anger.  His lips were pursed, just like hers were against his. How could a man so gentle be so full of rage toward her as well?  That’s when it occurred to Rey; it wasn’t just a dream, it was a vision. She opened her eyes and covered her mouth, her breath taken away.  

A knock came from the door and Kylo entered.  

“It’s time for lunch,” he said.  Rey sat up, trying to hide her feelings.  

“Are you alright?” he asked.  Rey swallowed hard and nodded.  She knew Kylo didn’t believe her, but he wouldn’t dare push anymore.  

Kylo offered Rey his arm and she stood up and walked toward him.  She placed her arm in his and faked a smile.

“You look beautiful,” he said softly.  He placed his hand on her cheek and grinned.  

“Did you do that on your own?” he asked Rey, running his fingers over her hair.  

“Yeah.  Does it look good?” she asked, still nervous about others eyes being on her.  Kylo leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. All the thoughts of her hesitation toward him left Rey’s mind in that moment.  She was no longer focused on the doom waiting to occur between the two, but rather on his lips.  His soft, deep red lips were cool on her hot skin. Her heart sped up and she looked up at him as he backed away. 

“You look absolutely perfect,” he whispered.  Rey smiled, leaning her head into his hand. 

“Well let’s go get lunch.  I’m going to introduce you to the Knights of Ren,” he said.  They began walking and left the room. As they started down the hall, Rey realized what he’d told her.

“You have soldiers named after you?” she asked, letting out a snort.  

“Laugh all you want, but they aren’t just soldiers.  These are people who hold powers like mine.  Like yours.  They can teach you how to control them,” he said as they turned another corner.  

“I don’t want to be trained by any of you.  I told you that. No offense,” Rey added.  She didn’t care if she had the ability to manipulate some force, all she knew was that these people weren’t using their powers for good.  In fact, she was using them only to get answers, just as they were wanting her for their own agenda. But Rey couldn’t deny that she had some feelings for Kylo. That’s why the vision was crumpling her to pieces.  But Rey kept her chin up and continued walking. 

“Are you sure?  This could be good for you,” he told her.  Rey stopped walking and looked at him.

“I’m certain.  It’s not my time just yet,” she said.  Kylo nodded, his black hair shaking up and down.  

The two walked down the halls in silence, only the sound of their shoes hitting the floor and bouncing off the walls.  Kylo Ren stopped when they reached a pair of large, fancy doors.

“Here we are,” he told her.  Kylo opened the doors and Rey was surprised to see a banquet hall with a table full of people in black masks.  Rey took a deep breath and walked in, preparing herself to be surrounded by powerful, angry men.


	14. The Jedi and the Mermaid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The knights began to stand up, gathering their helmets and stuffing their faces with what food they could grab with their other hands. In their hasty attempt to leave, one of the knights bumped the table. To Rey’s shock, a cup holding liquid spilled over onto her dress and skin. She backed her chair and stood up, trying to shake the water off her dress. The knight who’d hit the table grabbed a cloth off the table and tried to wipe the water off, flicking it onto her legs instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy ya reylo nerds! Find me @thecatmeowsalot on tumblr

Rey tried to keep herself calm but felt as if every eye was watching her every move.  

“This is the girl?” a mechanical voice rung out from across the table.  Kylo pulled out a chair for Rey at the end of the banquet table closest to the doors and she sat.  

“Her name is Rey.  You will no longer call her ‘girl’,” Kylo demanded as he walked around the room towards the other end of the table.  

“Yes, Supreme Leader,” the mechanical voice stated.  Kylo sat down and looked upon the barren surface before them. 

“Where is our meal?” he asked.  Rey heard doors open behind them and watched as servants brought forth an overwhelming amount of food.  Plate after plate was brought in full of colorful, oddly shaped assortments. There were round, small green spheres and purple ones just like it.  Roasted meats were placed in the center of the table surrounded by mashed plants and strange leafy things. There were so many combinations and different pieces in front of her that the thought of eating it all made her sick.  Yet, she was excited when a plate came in full of a long, leafy plant she recognized. It was placed near her, exciting Rey to get a taste of home. She looked up at Kylo and he nodded at her, acknowledging that he was the one who had surprised her.  

Rey looked around and noticed the knights taking their helmets off, revealing worn down faces.  Many of them looked exhausted, tired from a busy day of hunting and retrieving for their master.  There were six of them, three on either side of Rey. No girls, only men. She looked down as one of them with a glassy look in his eye furrowed his brow at Rey.  It was the same one who’d talked earlier. 

She was so focused on everyone else at the table that Rey herself forgot to start gathering an assortment of food.  Rey grabbed the plate of her familiar sea plant and started nibbling on them, taking in the salty taste she so dearly missed.  

“Were you able to find the rebel who escaped our grasp?” Kylo asked a man with short brown, curly hair.  

“No, master.  We did find something much more interesting instead.  A lightsaber,” he responded. Rey looked up from her meal just in time to see the man holding out a short piece of metal.  Kylo took it from his hand and studied it. 

“This was Skywalker’s saber….” he growled under his breath.  “You need to find that man immediately. You can eat once he is captured.  You're all foolish to think that you can rest while that man is still on this ship!”  The knights began to stand up, gathering their helmets and stuffing their faces with what food they could grab with their other hands.  In their hasty attempt to leave, one of the knights bumped the table. To Rey’s shock, a cup holding liquid spilled over onto her dress and skin.  She backed her chair and stood up, trying to shake the water off her dress. The knight who’d hit the table grabbed a cloth off the table and tried to wipe the water off, flicking it onto her legs instead.  

“LEAVE!” Kylo yelled from the other end of the table, standing up to come assess the damage.  But the knights weren’t afraid of Kylo. Instead they stayed in their places and watched as one of them desperately tried to rid the dress of water.  That’s when the tingling feeling started in her toes. It made its way up her shins, her knees and surrounded her waist. Before Rey had a chance to sit, her legs began forming together.  The knight dropped his cloth and mask, covering his mouth with a hand. 

“She exists?!” he managed as Rey felt her scales reappear.  She fell to the floor, looking up at a pile of shocked faces.  Kylo reached Rey and took her hand. Rey put an arm on the chair and he took her other one, placing her into the seat.  Rey’s face was beat red, embarrassed in her natural form around these strange men. The dress only covered part of her tail, a majority of it still in the open air. Rey put her arms around her body and looked down, trying to hide the tears forming in her eyes.  

“You didn’t tell us she existed, let alone that she was on the ship,” a snarly voice said from behind her.  Rey felt a tear shed from her eye, streaming along her skin and falling onto the black cloth.  

“You didn’t need to know.  If I hear another word of this, you will never see daylight again,” Kylo growled, his voice low and demanding.

“You don’t frighten me.  You don’t frighten any of us!  Don’t forget how you got here. The lost jedi isn’t a myth anymore and you can’t hide  _ it  _ from us any longer,” one of them spit out.  

“LEAVE NOW!” Kylo yelled, as the doors swung open by themselves.  The knights stared back at Kylo menacingly, but eventually walked out.  Kylo shut the doors and banged his fist on the wall.

“Lost jedi?  Is that me?” Rey asked, feeling small and unsafe.  Kylo banged the wall again and Rey turned around to find a face full of rage and fear.  He looked at her and tried to control his feelings, but failed. 

“No.  You don’t understand anything,” he stated, walking back to his seat across the room.  Kylo put his hands on his chair and gripped it until his knuckles turned white. Rey felt hurt and looked down at her tail as it reflected the black of the room around her.  Rey wiped a tear from her eye and looked down. 

“Then what am I?  You’ve known this whole time, haven’t you Kylo?”  she asked, her voice barely a whisper. Kylo Ren looked up at her and pursed his lips, his hands shaking.  

“After the clone wars there was a jedi who was said to have escaped death.  He made his way to a planet with nothing on it to hide out. Soon enough he fell in love with a creature that inhabited the waters there.  This creature was a mermaid, and together they had a child. Soon enough the Empire found them, no one having forgot his time spent as a jedi.  The mother was able to escape and hide the child away in a galaxy which no one knew. She went back to the Empire to try and rescue her jedi, but was captured and tortured to death, taking the child’s whereabouts to the grave.  The jedi was murdered and his body burned. The Empire had tried searching for the child but never found it. The child was presumed to be dead. When the Empire was disbanded, the First Order still remembered stories of this happening, but they were just that, stories,” Kylo told her.  Rey looked up at him, her eyes wide. 

“You knew this whole time and didn’t tell me?” she asked, an anger and sadness swelling in her body.  

“No, I didn’t,” he told her.  

“You’re lying to me.  You’ve been lying this whole time!  You knew the answers and who I was when you were on that rock.  Kylo, you used me to get back here! What do you plan on doing with me now that you have me?” she asked, grasping the table in front of her.  Kylo took a deep breath and smiled, but his white knuckles gave away his frustration. 

“Now I’m going to train you to assist the First Order,” he said.  Rey clenched her jaw and snarled at him.

“No.  I’m not.  You can’t force me to do anything,” she snapped at him.

“Then you will be my prisoner,” he told her, narrowing his eyes, his smile having faded away.  

“So be it,” she said.  Angry, Kylo threw the chair against the wall and kept smashing it to pieces.  Rey cringed, trying to keep herself from faltering. The tears streamed down her face, soaking her chin.  When Kylo stopped, his breathing was heavy.  He stared at the pile of wood on the floor in front of him.

“You never loved me.  Did you, Kylo Ren?” she asked, her voice a whisper.  He looked at her, his eyes holding a pool sadness. 

“I did,” he said softly back to her.  

“Then why are you doing this?’ she asked, trying to overcome the fear in her body.

“Because the galaxy’s order is more important than childish endeavors,” he told her while walking around the table.  Rey felt more tears escape from her eyes and she stifled a sob.  

“How would I even be of use to you?” she asked.  

“You hold a power stronger than most.  More importantly, you can use that power in multiple environments.  My goal was to train you into a powerful weapon, but you refused, Rey.  Now I have to hide you from the rebels, make you my prisoner,” Kylo Ren told her, his eyes dark.  

Rey felt her tail transition back into two legs, the tingling coming and going within seconds. She looked down, away from Kylo.  Rey couldn’t look him in the eye, not after what he’d been planning this whole time. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. 

“You’re evil,” she mustered through a shaky breath.  

“No.  I’m doing my job,” he said through clenched teeth.  Kylo went to a panel beside the doors and pressed a few buttons.  In a matter of seconds two stormtroopers entered the dining hall.  

“Cuff her,” he told them.  They stood Rey up and grabbed her wrists, placing them before her.  She watched Kylo as he eyed his soldiers, obviously trying to avoid Rey’s gaze.  Once she was placed in cuffs, they walked her out of the dining hall. Kylo joined them, telling them to leave her to him.  He grabbed her arm tightly and they started walking down the hall. She tried to stop the tears from falling down her face, but Rey couldn’t fight them.  She stared at the floor, her senses focused on the tight grip he had on her bicep. She was heartbroken, but mostly scared.  She knew if she stayed on this ship, there would be a chance of her dying.  Rey needed a plan.

As they walked, Rey noticed the blue lightsaber tucked in a holster in Kylo’s belt.  She knew he could still read her thoughts, so Rey had to act quickly.

She suddenly stopped moving, the jerk from Kylo causing her to fall into him.  She took her opportunity and grabbed the piece of metal from his belt, turning it quickly in her hands and finding the button.  Rey pressed it, unveiling a long blue beam, just like the one in her vision. She backed away from Kylo as he quickly stumbled to understand what just happened.  Rey used the saber to separate the cuffs from one another so that she could use her hands. She then stood in a defensive position, the saber up, ready to strike.  

“You have no idea what you’re doing,” Kylo told her, stifling a grin.

“And you underestimate me,” she spit back at him.  Kylo slowly moved his hand around and grabbed his saber from the other side of his belt.  He pressed it, the  _ zinnnggg _ revealing three red, unpredictable beams.  

“You don’t want to fight me,” he warned her.

“I don’t _want_ to be used.  I don’t want to be a prisoner.  I’m _not_ a toy,” she clenched her jaw and squinted her eyes.  

Kylo lifted the saber with both hands and Rey reached hers out, the two striking one another.  

“You can’t escape,” he growled.  

“I’ve done it before.  Watch me,” she told him.  

Rey squinted her nose and pushed the saber harder into Kylo’s.  Surprised by her strength, he stumbled backward, giving Rey the opportunity to strike again.  He lifted his saber with one hand, striking hers. 

“You love me.  You won’t hurt me,” he told her, out of breath.  

She lifted the saber and hit it hard into his, making Kylo lose his grip.  The red beam fell to the floor. 

"You're becoming more and more like me.  Use your anger," he told me.

"Never!" Rey screamed.  She charged at him and struck his face, causing Kylo Ren to fall to the ground.  He screamed, a noise she was shocked to hear come out of his mouth. Rey looked at him, his body falling unconscious on the ground.  She pressed the button on her saber and her mouth fell open. Rey looked at what she’d done, the shock settling in. 

She backed away from Kylo, frightened by the mess she’d created.  Despite the knot in her stomach, Rey knew she’d done the right thing.  She backed away and ran down the hall, away from Kylo Ren.  She took one last glimpse and noticed his black hair strewn in a messy pile across his face.  His cape covered his body, hiding the blood soaking onto the floor.  Rey rounded a corner, away from Kylo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved in TLJ when Rey was a nobody, but I thought this story needed her to be a somebody. Hope you guys liked it!


	15. Escaping the Star Destroyer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her focus was on finding a way to escape. Rey hoped that watching Kylo man the spacecraft during their escape would help her to steal one and fly it away. Rey shook her head and kept walking, noting the very poorly put together plan she’d created. Reaching a door at the end of the hall, Rey cursed, unable to open it. She tried to pry it using only her hands, but that didn’t work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I stayed up till 3am writing this for some reason. I got stuff to do, but nope. Rather write some fic for ya reylo nerds! Find me @thecatmeowsalot on tumblr

Rey didn’t give herself the opportunity to think.  She couldn’t.  Darting down halls, searching corners for stormtroopers, her feet wouldn’t stop.  Rey was surprised she was running without falling, especially with such little concentration on her legs.  Rey held the lightsaber tight in her right hand, not knowing where she was going or why. As she rounded another corner, a loud beeping echoed across the Star Destroyer.  Bright red lights started flashing down the halls. Rey froze, hiding in the crook of a doorway, frightened by the noise. At that moment, she realized the blue beam of her saber was still lit. Fumbling for the button, she noticed her hands were shaking.  Rey pressed her head back against the cold metal and took a deep breath, the saber’s reflection shining on the door to her right. She pressed the button, the light dissipating, leaving only the metal hilt before her. Rey peered around the crook of the doorway and made sure the hallway was empty.  When she could reaffirm the coast was clear, Rey started down the way, watching for anyone, or any thing. 

Her focus was on finding a way to escape.  Rey hoped that watching Kylo man the spacecraft during their escape would help her to steal one and fly it away.  Rey shook her head and kept walking, noting the very poorly put together plan she’d created. Reaching a door at the end of the hall, Rey cursed, unable to open it.  She tried to pry it using only her hands, but that didn’t work. Noticing a side panel, Rey started pressing buttons, accidentally causing a stormtrooper to pop up, asking for what emergency she had.  Rey froze, staring at the holographic feature in front of her.

“Your emergency?” the mechanical voice repeated.  She had given away her position, leaving only minutes before the generals would figure out it was her who had taken down their supreme leader.  To save herself, she made up a lie.

“I ran to get help for the Supreme Leader.  He’s been struck down by…,” she paused, wishing she would stop talking.  “By… one of the Knights of Ren. He has brown, curly hair!” she exclaimed. 

“We already have medical staff attending to the Supreme Leader.  I will put out a warning call to capture the Knights of Ren,” the holograph stormtrooper replied before disappearing.  Rey cursed again, upset that she’d hit the damn button, but glad she bought herself more time. They'd be searching for someone else, not her.  Pressing more buttons, Rey found that the doors had been purposefully locked so that no one could escape.  The alarms rang out in the hall she was in, clustering her thoughts. 

That’s when she remembered the lightsaber.  Rey looked down at the metal hilt and then at the door in front of her.  She had to keep moving to get off this piece of junk of a spaceship. Rey lit the saber and pressed the blue beam into the thick sliding door.  With much struggle, Rey focused her energy and made a large circle in the metal, wide enough for her to slip through. Sweat began forming on her brow and back, the heat from the melting metal burning her fingers.  After the circle was finished, Rey kicked the piece through. She looked at the other side of the hall and noticed the backside of a lone man kicking a different set of doors opposite from her.  He turned around, stopping when he noticed Rey.  She froze, unable to read the strange expression on his face.

“I thought you were trying to kill me!” he told her, pointing to the saber in her hand.  The man had brown, luscious hair and wasn’t dressed in a uniform like every other person on the ship.   

“No, I’m trying to escape,” she said, her brow furrowed.  

“Me too.  Wanna hitch a ride?” he asked.  

“I don’t even know you,” she said.  It was at that moment that Rey heard a banging on the door behind her.  “Nevermind. We gotta go,” Rey said quickly. She picked up the bottom of her dress and climbed through the hole.  The man ran over to her and helped Rey climb the rest of the way. 

“They’re going to kill me,” Rey said, her eyes darting around the hall in front of them.  

“Me too.  Looks like we got a lot in common, kid,” he stated, his eyes looking down at her hand. 

“How did you get that lightsaber?” he asked.

“I took it from the Supreme Leader,” Rey stated.  She heard another banging behind them. The two looked back through the hole and listened as someone struggled opening the opposite door.  

“You’re using it better than I was.  Well, I wasn’t actually using it, just recovering it.  Anyway, let’s get out of here,” the man said. He had an olive toned skin and was tall, stereotypically handsome.  But when she looked at him, Rey only thought of Kylo’s lips on hers. She closed her eyes and opened them, focusing herself on the current situation.   _ I hurt Kylo.  He tried to use me.  I have to keep going,  _ she thought.  

“Hello?  Are you there?” the man asked, waving his hand in front of her. 

“Yeah.  Sorry,” she responded quickly.  

“Let’s go through the vents.  I can lift you up and you can use the saber to carve away the grate.  That sound decent?” he asked.

“Only if you go in first,” she mentioned.  “We'd be lost after the first turn.”

“Lucky for you… I only sorta know the ship.  Let’s go. We’re just going to have to guess.  I was supposed to meet someone at the loading dock.  Hope he’s still there,” the man said, walking over to the vent.  Rey followed the man, knowing that she had to trust him or else she’d be dead.   

“Okay, I’m going to lift you up on my shoulders,” he told her.  

“Excuse me?” she asked.  Rey was comfortable with her tail, but not this body.  Legs, a crotch, and knees were strange, especially to have them around a stranger’s head.  

“How else am I supposed to get you up there?  And would you rather crawl through vents or makes a few hundred of those holes in a bunch of doors and _maybe_ find the loading dock?” he asked.  

“Good point,” Rey said, sucking it up.  The banging from the opposite hall continued, only making Rey want to get the job done quicker.  The man bent down, kneeling in front of her. An image of Kylo flashed across her vision, and she tried to swallow the knot in her throat.  The man turned around so his back was facing her, and Rey climbed onto his shoulders. He stood up, holding onto her legs, and Rey strained her muscles, nervous about her position.  The man walked her over to the wall so that Rey was closer to the vent. She took the saber and struck it through the grates, sparks flying. She leaned forward, making the man stumble a bit beneath her. 

“I’m Poe by the way.  Nice to meet you,” he strained, holding her weight while trying to keep them from falling over.  

“Rey.  Could you move a bit to your right?” she asked.  Poe did, helping Rey to carve the grate out of the vent.  After much struggle, and almost falling over a few different times, Rey held on to the metal piece.

“Done.  Lift me into it,” she said, making the lightsaber’s beam disappear.  

“Gotcha,” Poe said, standing on his tiptoes while lifting her. 

A large bang came from the other hall, and Rey heard Poe gasp from below.  She grabbed onto the vent and crawled in. 

“Stormtroopers,” he whispered from below her, reaching his hands up.  Rey reached her hands down to take Poe’s. With much struggle, she managed to lift his arms up to the vent.  After that, he pulled himself up, the two stuck in a dark vent. That’s when a stormtrooper in a chrome armor looked through the hole in the door below them.  Luckily, Rey had just placed the grate back in front of the vent, giving them the opportunity to quickly slip out of sight.

Rey let Poe ahead of her and they began crawling in the cold airspace.  The metal echoed every time they moved, making Rey hope that the noise wouldn't call any attention to them.  

“You don’t know where you’re going, right?” she asked.  

“Well, I know what the room looks like beside the loading dock.  It’s close to the hall we were in. I was trying to find the lightsaber when the alarms went off and the door locked.  I  _ think  _ we need to turn left… I  _ hope  _ we need to turn left,” he said very hesitantly.  

Rey took a deep breath, cursing in her head.  Everything that could have gone wrong had. That’s when she remembered the pink shell her mother had given her.  Rey had tucked it into the cape she’d worn on the ship when they left her planet.  _ It must be in the shuttle, where I first changed,  _ Rey thought, making a mental note to grab it.  Kylo could try and take her life and use it for his own agenda, but Rey wasn’t going to let him take a memory from her.  She was upset at herself for forgetting it in the first place.

She followed Poe as they took a turn, not even paying attention to their directions.  It looked like the stormtroopers hadn’t yet found them, only raising Rey’s anxiety. Soon enough, Poe let out a small grunt in front of them.

“What is it?” she asked.  

“Well, I found the loading dock.  Only problem is that we seem to be a bit too high up to drop down,” Poe stated.  

“Let me see,” Rey said, moving forward.  She pushed past Poe and grabbed the grates in front of her.  Looking down, Rey saw there were way too many yards between her and the ground.  

“What happened to your friend?” Rey asked Poe in the darkness of the vent, trying not to look down.  

“Actually, let me call him.  The place seems to be empty,” Poe said, deriving a plan.  Instead of using a gadget like she expected, Poe yelled out, trying to call attention to someone. She cringed, hoping and praying that no one would hear him.  Rey looked down at the loading dock and watched as a man without his stormtrooper helmet walked out, looking around.

“HELLO?” he screamed out, looking very confused.  Poe yelled back, catching the man’s attention.  Rey shook her head at Poe, but he only ignored her.

“HEY!  WHAT’RE YOU DOING UP THERE?!” the man yelled while walking over to them.  Poe explained how the alarms had closed down the doors.   

“LOOK WHAT I FOUND!” Poe yelled while pointing to Rey.

“WHO IS SHE?  NEVERMIND! WE GOTTA GET YOU GUYS DOWN!” the man yelled back.  

Rey, confused about everything, kept looking back between Poe and the man below them.  

“A stormtrooper is helping you escape?” she asked him, confused.  Rey had assumed his "friend" would be someone much different, not a stormtrooper.  

“He is trying to escape, too.  Doesn’t want to fight for a wrongful cause anymore.  He helped get me out of the torture chamber that the  _ lovely  _ Supreme Leader had me locked in,” Poe stated.  

“Torture chamber?” Rey asked, her eyes narrowing.  She had been wrong to think of Kylo in such endearing ways.  He was a bad man, and it hurt Rey to think of it.  She swallowed hard and looked down at the man below them. 

“HELLO?!” he yelled.  Poe and Rey looked down at him.  

“I’VE GOT AN IDEA, BUT IT’S A TERRIBLE ONE!” he screamed.  

"ALRIGHT..." Poe said hesitantly.  "Not like we got another option," he told Rey.  She nodded and looked back at the stormtrooper.   The two watched as the man walked over and boarded a shuttle.  After a few moments, it lifted off the ground, shaking and sputtering. 

“Oh god… he doesn’t know how to pilot a ship,” Poe said, putting his hand to his head.  That’s when Rey figured out what the stormtrooper was going to do.  

“Back up.  I gotta get rid of this grate,” she told him.  Rey lit the saber as Poe moved behind her. Crouching uncomfortably, she struggled using the beam to get rid of the grate.  She struggled again, but was able to move quicker after ridding of the last two pieces of metal.  After a few moments, it fell off, making a loud clunking noise as it hit the ground below them. 

Rey had't noticed the ship getting closer to the two.  Poe grabbed Rey just as the side of a shuttle bumped into the wall, cracking the vent they were on.  A ramp was extended so the they could both climb into the cabin.

“JUMP IN!” a voice screamed from inside the shuttle.  

“You first,” Rey said, looking at the unsteady ship struggling to stay still.  

“Thanks,” Poe sarcastically stated as he moved forward.  She watched as he positioned himself right on the edge of the vent, waiting for the shuttle to sputter back to the wall, and to them.  Just as it did, Poe jumped and landed on the ramp.  Poe turned around and waited for Rey.  She took a deep breath and crawled to the end of the vent.  Looking down, Rey took in the giant gap between her and the floor of the boarding dock. In a moment of courage, she looked back up and jumped, not watching where the ship was.  The shuttle was just a few inches too far away, causing Rey to only grab the edge of the ramp. She screamed, feeling her muscles contract and almost give out from the weight of her body.  Poe ran over, grabbing her arms and lifting her up onto the shuttle. She looked down, watching the loading dock beneath her, relieved her body wasn’t lying below them. Poe took her hand and they walked up into the ship.  

“Hey Poe!  Can you take the wheel?  I don’t know what I’m doing,” the man spoke from the cockpit.  Poe went over to the man to trade places and Rey looked around the cabin.  To her surprise, she spotted the tattered cape on the ground. She ran over and picked it up, shaking the fabric desperately.  A small pink shell fell out, landing on the shiny black floor. As the ramp closed behind her, Rey bent down to pick it up. 

“What’s that?” a voice said from behind her.  

“Nothing,” Rey said quickly, grabbing the shell.  She turned to find the man from the loading dock standing in front of her.  He was a decent height with a dark skin tone she’d never seen before. Rey turned back and looked at the shell in her hand.  She heard the man walk over to the bench behind her and sit.  The ship stopped sputtering and began flying out of the boarding dock, escaping into the galaxy.  

Rey sat down on the floor, observing the corner where she had once changed into a dress that Kylo Ren had picked out for her.  She looked down and tried to forget the memory.   Rey ran her fingers over the shell in her hands and finally felt the weight of her actions.  In the blink of an eye, tears were streaming down her face. Rey saw Kylo’s image in her mind; his strong jaw, soft and plump lips, the feeling of his rough hands on her skin.  He had given her so much hope, so much truth, but also so many lies. She gripped the shell tighter and thought of the story he had told her. Her mother, who had died because of love, was the last memory of her childhood.   _Her hand, reaching down to give her the pink shell, warming Rey’s heart._ She zoned back in to reality, crying, tears falling onto the object in her hands. Kylo may have hid his intentions, but Rey had her memories to keep her strong.  But in this moment, she was weak. 

The man sitting behind her wouldn’t dare to move or check on her.  She sobbed, trying to stay silent, but knew nothing could hide this pain she felt.  Rey might have fallen in love, learned her family was dead, but she could still try and find these “jedi” that were so important, that her father was a part of.  Rey took a deep breath and closed her eyes, holding the shell close to her heart.  _ You can do this,  _ she thought.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm feeling the angst, but you gotta combine it with some actual plot to make it work. This was mostly plot, but I enjoyed writing it, too. So have fun!


	16. A Permanent Scar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo entered the medical center and sat down, finally all alone. He cupped his left hand against the side of his face, trying not to maneuver his skin in any painful way. Kylo squinched his eyes and took a deep breath, processing what the stormtroopers had told him. Thank god she escaped, he thought to himself. He looked at his hand, observing the way the skin was beginning to bruise from hitting the metal. The anger was just a show for the soldiers, to get them to believe he needed her on the ship. The truth was much different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me a while to get this one done. Coming up on the end of my college semester soon so I've been getting pretty busy. I did this chapter from both Rey and Kylo's pov, so I hope ya reylo nerds like it! Find me @thecatmeowsalot on tumblr

Kylo Ren awoke with a medical droid tending to his face.  Startled, he pushed the astromech away and sat upward, looking at his surroundings.  He had been laying on the ground of a hall, blood spurring from the deep cut on his face.  _ Rey,  _ he thought, looking at the door in front of him.  He stood up, wincing as his burnt flesh stretched and molded to his movements.  The door had been pried open, causing Kylo Ren to turn around, finally noticing the two stormtroopers staring at their supreme leader.  

“What happened to the girl?” Kylo muttered, attempting to ignore the pain surging through his face.  

“She escaped with the prisoner, sir.  They’ve disabled their tracking device from the ship,” one of the soldiers told him.  Kylo turned back around and scowled, looking at the door.

“HOW?!  WERE WE NOT UNDER LOCKDOWN?!”  Kylo screamed, throwing a punch at the bent metal door in front of him.  

“We were.  Just to find you, we had to pry open this door.  They somehow managed to escape through the vents, Supreme Leader,” a shaky metallic voice muttered from behind.  

“Get.  Me. Hux!” Kylo said slowly, baring his teeth.  “Tell him I will be in the medical center.” Using the force to grab his lightsaber from the floor, he turned and made his way between the stormtroopers.  Without looking back, Kylo Ren walked through the many halls, ignoring the anger, sadness, and pain surging throughout his torso and neck. The small medical droid followed his tail, returning back to its emergency release home.  

Kylo entered the medical center and sat down, finally all alone.  He cupped his left hand against the side of his face, trying not to maneuver his skin in any painful way.  Kylo squinched his eyes and took a deep breath, processing what the stormtroopers had told him.  _ Thank god she escaped,  _ he thought to himself.  He looked at his hand, observing the way the skin was beginning to bruise from hitting the metal.  The anger was just a show for the soldiers, to get them to believe he needed her on the ship. The truth was much different. 

A proper medical droid rolled over to him and scanned his body, trying to detect any ailments.  

“It seems you are in much pain.  May I start treatment?” the droid asked, tilting its head to the side.  

“Yes,” he responded, watching the droid move in with its mechanically enhanced arms.  It studied the long cuts and burns in the skin, nodding to itself. 

“Please take off your shirt.  The cut goes down to your chest, sir,” the droid said.  Kylo looked down and noticed the blood soaked cowl he was wearing.  Removing the piece was painful, forcing him to stretch his arms and manipulate the skin on his chest, but soon enough he was bare.  The astromech began applying a liquid to the cut, a sharp stinging pain forming in the crevices. 

After a moment, the door slid open, revealing General Hux.  He walked in, his chin positioned much too high.  

“What happened, Supreme Leader?” Hux said in his shrill, annoying voice. 

“You already know.  The girl escaped. Just like I presumed,” Kylo growled, looking up at the disgruntled general. 

“It was  _ your  _ job to make her  to stay.  Not mine. You simply failed,” Hux stated, eyebrows raised and lips puckered.  

“I TOLD YOU IT WOULDN’T WORK!” Kylo Ren yelled out, wiping the smug look off of the general’s face and frightening the medical droid. 

"And why hadn’t you told the Knights about who she was?  Just seemed to cause more trouble if you ask me," Hux smirked.

 “I was going to tell them at that lunch. Then the prisoner escaped, which  _ you  _ were in charge of!  And you mean to tell me that she escaped with him?  HOW?!” Kylo yelled.

“Um… well… one of the stormtroopers aided them, Supreme Leader,” Hux stated, fear resonating throughout his face.  

“ _ What?”  _ Kylo asked, furrowing his brow together, an anger rising in his stomach, the pain from the cut only fueling him.

“FN-2187.  We have no way to identify their whereabouts,” Hux said through a curled lip and yellow teeth. 

“Leave.  NOW! It was your plan, therefore,  _ you  _ fix this!  I don’t want to see you again until they are found!” Kylo yelled as General Hux quickly backed out of the door, stumbling over his cape.  Once the door closed, Kylo closed his eyes and leaned back against the chair. 

“How much longer?” he asked gently to the droid. 

“Only a few minutes.  I need to bandage you up, first,” the soft mechanical voice stated. 

Kylo Ren closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  He _didn’t_ know Rey would try to escape. How could he?  She was unpredictable from the day he met her, but he should have known she was more capable than he presumed.  Kylo wasn’t even angry that she had caused such damage to his skin, but rather impressed by the skill she naturally possessed.  None of it made sense, especially due to her lack of training, but there were many things about this situation that didn’t follow order.   _ If Hux hadn’t encouraged all of the officers to keep her captive, this would have never happened.  I was foolish to believe she would accept the dark,  _ Kylo thought to himself, regretting the way he went about the situation.  Kylo knew deep down that she would only ever be attracted to the light, something he wished he could join as well.  The truth was, he never wanted Rey for her genealogy, only for her heart. Without her, he felt as lost as the day Snoke died, leaving him in charge.  If only Hux treated Kylo Ren the same as the dead leader, Rey’s appearance on the ship wouldn’t be of question. Kylo scowled to himself, trying to keep his hurt under control.  The feelings he had for her were there still, but she would never think of him the same way anymore.  Knowing that, Kylo could only do one thing; keep ruling the First Order.

  
  


\---------------------

  
  


Rey had been silent for a long time, letting the tears stream from her face.  At some point they stopped falling, leaving her with a throbbing headache.  It had been manageable earlier, but now the feeling had become overbearing.  Rey wished she had some of the plant leaves she used for pain back home, but that place was far gone now. She turned around and looked at the man in the stormtrooper uniform, his helmet placed on the bench beside him.  He looked over at her and gave a small smile, nodding at her. 

“Do you know of anything that can get rid of pain?” she asked him. 

“Uh, yeah.  Should be in the emergency medical supplies.  Hold on,” he said, standing up and walking over to the wall where Kylo had found her clothing.  He pressed in a few panels and looked in them before finally finding one that was acceptable. The man turned around and came back with a pill.

“Take this.  It should make you feel better,” the man said, holding it out to her.  

“Thank you,” she responded, smiling back.  Rey took the pill in her hand and placed it in her mouth.  After a bit of struggling to try and swallow it, she got it down and relaxed.  

“So who are you anyway?” the man asked.  She hadn’t noticed he’d gone back to the bench behind her.  

“Rey.  And you?” she asked, smiling. 

“FN- Uh, Finn,” he said after a moment of struggling. 

“Okay,  _ Finn.   _ Why are you helping us?” Rey asked, convinced he lied about his name. 

“Good question.  Let’s just say I’m not cut out to be a stormtrooper.  Is that a decent answer?” he asked. 

“Good enough I guess,” she paused.  “What did Poe do to get captured?” 

“He’s part of the Rebel Alliance.  Poe had to transport the coordinates to an important ally and instead got captured.  The plans didn’t. So I told him I’d help him escape if I could come with,” Finn responded matter of factly.  He looked at her and furrowed his brow, trying to figure her out. 

“How did _you_ end up here?” he asked.

“Um… I saved the Supreme Leader.  In turn, he tried to keep me as his prisoner,” she stated, purposefully avoiding telling the full truth.  

“Wait?  Are you… No,” Finn said, surprise filling his face, his mouth hanging open.

“What?” she asked, hoping the story of her mother and father wasn’t as well known as Kylo had made it seem.

“You’re the daughter of one of the last jedi,” he managed, looking at her as if she was some rare creature.  

“Uh, yeah.  I guess I am.  Can you not go around telling people that just yet?” she asked, worried that her reputation would precede her. 

“Sure!  Of course!  Won’t say a word,” he responded.  

Poe walked out of the cockpit and into the cabin, looking at the two of them.  

“So you guys are friends now?” he asked. 

“Sorta’,” Finn responded.  “How far out are we?”

“We’ll be at the base in about another 30 minutes or so.  Rey, I’d recommend finding some shoes. We have to walk through some mud,” Poe told her.  She looked down at her feet, studying the odd shape of them.  She didn't know what mud was, but wasn't going to question him.

“Finn, you should also change.  The alliance will be happy to have you, but if you walk in looking like that, you’re gonna’ get shot,” he said.  Finn looked at his armor and nodded. 

“Yeah, I assumed that would happen,” Finn told him while nodding. 

“Great!  I’m going to get back to manning the shuttle.  Don’t do anything stupid,” Poe said while walking back into the cockpit.  

Rey realized the heels had fallen off on the destroyer once one of the Knights of Ren had caused her transformation.  Finn stood up and walked back over to the panels, searching for clothes of any sort. After rummaging through for a bit, he threw her a pair of combat boots. 

“See if those fit,” he told her.  Rey nodded, taking the boots and sitting herself on the bench.  After another moment or so, Finn grabbed a pair of khaki pants and a plain black t-shirt, taking it to the fold out cubicle in the corner.  He pressed the buttons, unleashing the walls. 

Rey took a deep breath and slipped her foot in, getting used to the weird feeling of something tight on her body.  She looked at the laces, taking one in each hand and began improvising to make the boot stay on her foot. 

As Rey grabbed the other boot, her ears started ringing.  She shook her head, only to get extremely dizzy in a matter of seconds.  Rey looked up, trying to focus on the other end of the shuttle, ridding herself of the vertigo.  She closed her eyes and focused on taking a few breaths in and out.  As she did, another breath was felt on her shoulder.  Frightened, Rey's breathing escalated, and she quickly opened her eyes.  She could smell someone like they were right beside her, but there was no one.  Rey looked toward where Finn was, and swore she saw the same familiar dark eyes, black hair, and full lips. Rey stood up, backing herself further away from the man.  Kylo Ren was right there in front of her, shirtless, bandages lining the cut she had given him. 

“...Rey?” he asked, confused, staring back at her.

“Go away,” she managed, hands shaking.  Rey suddenly remembered the lightsaber and bent down to grab it off the floor.  As she stood up, Rey pressed the button to light it up, striking a defensive pose.  Kylo had disappeared, Finn now in his place with wide eyes as the cubicle’s makeshift walls lifted back to the ceiling. 

“WOAH!” he yelled, taken aback.  Finn dropped his armor on the floor and put both his hands up.  Rey pointed the lightsaber to the ground once realizing her mistake and pressed the button on its hilt, the blue beam disappearing. 

“I’m sorry!  I didn’t mean to...  I thought… I thought you were someone else,” she stuttered, confused about what had just occurred.

“There are only three people on the shuttle.  I don’t know how you could be confused,” he said, keeping his hands in place.  

“Me neither,” she said slowly, putting the lightsaber down and sitting on the bench.  She grabbed her other boot and slipped her foot in. 

“So what?  You’re gonna pretend like you weren’t going to kill me?” Finn asked, still looking her up and down carefully.

“No!  I… I don’t know what’s happening.  I’ve never had these senses before,” she said, looking up at him, a horrified look on her face.  Finn sat down beside her and looked into her eyes. 

“Okay.  I believe you.  Just… don’t do it again.  Please,” he said with a bit of charm in his voice.  Rey smiled softly, nodding her head. Finn stood back up, grabbing the armor from the floor and placing it in one of the side panels.  

Rey finished lacing up her boot and put her head in her hands.  She looked back over to the corner where Kylo had stood. She knew he was real and was really there.  The surprise on  his face reaffirmed that he wasn’t doing it on purpose.  _ Did I connect us?  _ she thought, the idea terrifying her.  Rey looked at the other end of the shuttle and swallowed hard, the image of his dark black hair falling to his shoulders, the wide brown eyes he had when seeing her.  Rey shook her head and looked down, clenching her jaw. 

_ I can’t escape him. _


	17. Beginning of a Bond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The medical droids hadn’t seemed to notice anything, but then again, they wouldn’t stop working even if Darth Vader himself had walked in. The strange way Rey and him had connected only seemed to effect him, not anyone or anything else near him. This bond, it had to be on purpose. Was someone bridging their minds? No. There’s no one powerful enough to do such a thing. Even if someone had, they’d be dead, he thought. This connection was done by the force. On purpose. We’re connected now… that’s why she can’t block me from her mind! That’s why I’ve always been able to read her thoughts. Kylo motioned for the medical droids to stop working on his skin. They backed away, and he stood up, wanting more than anything to see her face again. But every time a thought of her entered his mind, he tried as hard as he could to push it away. There were more important things to tend to then a girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about being away for such a long time. These last few weeks of my college spring semester have been really hectic and I didn't get the chance to write when I would've liked to. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this my reylo nerds!

Kylo looked at the empty space that was her figure.  Those bright hazel eyes had dissipated, leaving behind a shadow, until he was staring at the black wall in front of him once more.  Rey had seemed surprised when she looked at him, but he could feel her terror even through the strange bond. Looking down, he noticed his arm was outreached, still calling for her.  He clenched his fist and rested his arm on his thigh. She had done her best to escape him, though she would never know it was his wish for her to escape. Kylo closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to sort out the feelings from the thoughts in his mind.   _ She wouldn’t have let herself be used as a weapon even if Hux had tried.  Rey needed to escape. Now you need to get yourself together,  _ Kylo thought to himself.   _ You can’t let this… bond, be used to distract you from your duties.   _ He looked up again at the spot where she was near the wall.  She was his distraction from the darkness, from the life he chose and had to live with now.  Even if he wanted to turn back to the light side, that choice would be impossible.  Now Rey was on her way to the light, where she was meant to be. He was stuck running the first order with Snoke’s mind invading his, even in death.   

The medical droids hadn’t seemed to notice anything, but then again, they wouldn’t stop working even if Darth Vader himself had walked in.  The strange way Rey and him had connected only seemed to effect him, not anyone or anything else near him. This bond, it had to be on purpose.  Was someone bridging their minds?  _ No.  There’s no one powerful enough to do such a thing.  Even if someone had, they’d be dead,  _ he thought.  This connection was done by the force.  On purpose.   _ We’re connected now… that’s why she can’t block me from her mind!  That’s why I’ve always been able to read her thoughts.  _ Kylo motioned for the medical droids to stop working on his skin.  They backed away, and he stood up, wanting more than anything to see her face again.  But every time a thought of her entered his mind, he tried as hard as he could to push it away.  There were more important things to tend to then a girl.

He left the room, his hand absentmindedly checking on the lightsaber in its hilt.  Kylo Ren strode through the halls, planning on getting to the meeting before the Knights of Ren and the other generals.  After losing the prisoner they desperately needed to find the Resistance’s hideout and having a stormtrooper turn sides, tensions had been high.  This meeting would hopefully clarify the First Order’s intentions. 

As he rounded a corner, a body bumped into him, pushing Kylo against the wall behind him.  

“Keep quiet,” a recognizable voice warned.

“Moe?  What are you doing?” Kylo breathed through clenched teeth to the Knight of Ren. 

“We’re out of the security camera’s sight.  I need to talk to you. Now. Alone,” he said, his breath shaky.

“Fine.  Take your hand off me,” Kylo growled.  Moe did and he finally got a look at his face.  He had clenched his fists and held his shoulders high like he did before facing battle.  Looking both ways and checking that the coast was clear, Moe entered a doorway beside them, his curly brown hair disappearing into the room.  Kylo Ren followed behind, sensing the tension Moe held in his muscular frame. The door slid shut behind them, leaving the two alone in an unused prison cell. 

“You better have a good reason for pulling me in here, Moe Ti.  Last time we talked you made Rey transform and let her get away,” Kylo growled for intimidation.  Moe leaned in to Kylo so that he could see the sweat building under his brown curls. 

“Hux tried to kill you.  And he’s going to try again.”

“What?” Kylo froze, his mouth dropping open.  

“Hux was never captured.  He sent you into that battle with your communications down on purpose.  You weren’t supposed to come back,” Moe stated firmly under his breath, checking behind him for anyone else.  Kylo bared his teeth and clenched his jaw. 

“He captured that prisoner weeks ago to get information about the Resistance.  They kept him in one of these cells without your knowledge. After you were supposed to die, Hux would have bragged that he was able to escape and capture a prisoner as well.  Leaving _Hux_  in charge.  Hux sent a search pod to make sure you were dead and instead they found you and the girl alive.  The girl from all the myths. I spilled that drink on her at the meeting to make sure she was the jedi and mermaid’s daughter,” Moe rambled.  Kylo took a step back and looked at the floor, tilting his head to the side. Suddenly, he reached his hand out and Moe lifted off the ground, choking mid air. 

“You  _ knew _ and didn’t tell me?!” Kylo yelled out. 

“No- I- I,” Moe stuttered.

“You _ what?! _ ” Kylo squinted his eyes and looked at him.

“I didn’t!” he choked through the invisible force surrounding his neck.  Kylo dropped the man and he took in a deep gasp. After a moment of silence, Kylo turned to him and stood over the frightened body on the floor.  

“How did you find out?” 

“I overheard some stormtroopers mentioning something about an assassination.  I followed them to Hux so I searched his personal files til I found the plans. They were encripted and it took me a while to decypher them, but when I did, you’d already left in the tie fighter.  I went after you in my own ship, but was too late. I couldn’t get through. When I was close enough to use the comms, yours were down. I couldn’t find your ship so I turned around and came back.  I’m sorry I failed you Supreme Leader,” Moe said, getting on his knees.

“Hux tried to murder me....  Why didn’t you tell me til now?” 

“You were busy catching up with your duties and the girl.  I was going to pull you aside at that meeting, but the prisoner escaped,” Moe said through a shaky voice.  Kylo stared at him on the ground, shaking and sweating. He looked away, the sight bringing back memories of serving Snoke.  

“Stand up,” he said.  Moe rose up to face him, looking into Kylo’s eyes.

“Supreme Leader, I tried.”

“You did your best.  I need you to get more information on Hux and his whereabouts.  Tell no one. For now, we need to get to this meeting,” Kylo said, holding the anger inside.  He walked past Moe and through the sliding door. Moe Ti followed behind, wiping sweat off his brow.  

Kylo took a deep breath.  Knowing he was going to have to control his anger around General Hux was enough to make him burst.  Clenching his fists, his knuckles white, Kylo took another larger breath. He’d accepted the fact that if he wanted to apprehend Hux, he’d have to catch him during the act.  Those plans had to have been deleted by now, especially since Kylo had returned. The thoughts about piercing him inbetween the eyes with a lightsaber swarmed his mind, but that wouldn’t get rid of the other problem; the stormtroopers who helped Hux.  There may even be more that helped plan this assassination that neither Moe nor Kylo knew about. He shook his head and stopped, staring at the door in front of him. Kylo took a deep breath and watched it slide open, revealing a full room of generals and Knights sitting around a long table. 

“Ah, he finally arrives,” a shrill voice rung out from the other side of the room.  Kylo clenched his jaw and swallowed hard.  _ This is going to be tougher than I thought.   _

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Rey still had the image of Kylo Ren in her mind, but tried to push it out.  The ship was landing and she had other things to worry about. She didn’t know where she was going or if any of her crewmates knew her geneaology either.  All Rey knew is that she was ready to be alone and properly process everything that had happened these last few days. Unfortunately, there was still a trek in the mud to get where they needed to go.  

“Alright, we’re landing!  Get ready to walk in the rain!” Poe yelled from the cockpit.  

“The what?” Rey asked, looking over at Finn.

“The rain?  You don’t know what that is?” he asked, his brows furrowed.

“No.  I’m not from a place with a lot of… people,” Rey said slowly, straightening out her dress.  

“Well it’s water that falls from the sky.  What kind of system are you from? Geez,” Finn stated, walking over toward the door.  The ship jittered back and forth and the walkway opened, revealing itself to the cabin.  Rey peered out at all the green trees and brown muck on the ground. 

“Woah…,” she breathed, taking in every detail.  She sat back on the ground and undid the laces on the boots, throwing them against the wall. 

“You’re not going to wear your boots?  I mean, if you want to get muddy, fine,” Poe said, leaving the cockpit. 

“I’m sorry to do this, but one of you is going to have to carry me,” Rey said, taking a deep breath.  

“What?” Finn asked from the walkway.  

“You heard me.  I’m not going to be able to walk in a few seconds,” she stated, biting her lip.  

“I’m sorry, but I’m not carrying anyone that can _obviously_ walk,” Poe brushed off her comment.

Rey looked over at Finn who had put his arm out to feel the rain on his hand.  “Finn? Can you?” 

“Yeah, whatever.  I’ve done worse in training,” he said.  

“Okay, let’s go,” Poe said while moving down the walkway and into the rain.  Rey walked over to Finn and then out at the puddles, taking a deep breath. 

“It’s alright, I promise,” he said softly.  Rey then stood up straight and walked out into the rain.  In a matter of seconds, she felt the tingles enter her legs.  Startled, Rey grabbed onto Finn’s arm just in time for the transition to happen.  Somehow she ended up holding herself up with one arm while the other held onto the lightsaber.  

“What the  _ hell?!”  _ Finn screamed out, causing Poe to turn around and jump.  

“Can one of you help me?!  I’m holding myself up!” Rey yelled from her awkward position on the ground as she held onto Finn’s skin, the rain running over her body.  The ends of her dress were barely dragging in the muck all the while her tail was covered in mud. 

“Are you a _mermaid_?!” Poe asked, his eyes staring at her tail like it was some foreign object he’d never laid eyes on before.  

“Yes!  Finn, help me!” Rey begged, her hand slipping down his arm.  

“Oh, sorry,” Finn said, snapping out of his trance and picking her up in his arms.  Rey looked back at Poe who had finally closed his mouth and turned back around. 

“I’ll switch off with you after a bit.  We have a few miles to trek before we reach camp,” Poe said from ahead, quickly adapting to the strange circumstances.  

Rey closed her eyes and felt the rain gently bounce off her skin and run down her tail.  She remembered the way Kylo’s arms felt holding her back on her home planet. Finn’s were much different and his movements more rigid.  She wanted nothing more than to be back in his arms again, but knew that she couldn't.  Rey took a deep breath and opened her eyes, focusing on the drops falling down her frame.  

Despite the calm, she felt like someone’s eyes were on her still.  Rey opened them and watched Finn struggling to hold her and walk through the mud.  His eyes were focused on the path ahead.  Looking to the side, Rey saw Kylo Ren walking beside her, studying her.  She knew she should have been scared, but instead was happy to see him. Rey wouldn’t let it show on her face though, not after everything that had happened. 

“I’m glad you escaped,” he muttered softly.  Finn didn’t seem to hear or notice him. Rey studied his face, grasping the lightsaber in her hands.  She looked at the way his black hair swung back and forth with his movements. 

“I’ll keep your location safe,” Kylo nodded.  Rey let out a breath and nodded. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone.  


	18. Blossoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two were quiet once more. Rey realized she shouldn’t have pressed the subject, but then again, he was a distraction from her own worries. Specifically, the Supreme Leader of the First Order. She remembered how Kylo Ren had appeared beside them moments before, and then has disappeared in seconds. He wanted me to escape? Why? Rey wondered, clutching her jaw tight. It’s not like he was trying to help me leave. But despite all of the confusion, she couldn’t help but feel butterflies in her stomach when his name was spoken. She almost wanted to laugh out loud at the thought. Half the galaxy wanted him dead, and the other half worshiped and feared him. Rey, well, she did neither. All she wanted from Kylo was for him to allow Ben to reappear. It was Ben who had held her that cold night over the ocean. It was Ben who carried her across a barren desert and almost died to save her. Ben was the only who had such a complicated, sweet heart, but was buried when working with the First Order. Rey wanted nothing more than for him to be happy again, and the truth is, he wasn’t. She wasn’t even sure she was happy with the answers she’d gotten about her parents, but it was better than wondering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY STAR WARS DAY! MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!!!! Anyways, I know this chapter is shorter, but I think you guys will love it regardless. Enjoy you reylo nerds!   
> Find me @thecatmeowsalot on tumblr

Rey was trying her best to avoid any awkward eye contact with Finn.  She didn’t like being forced to be so close to people she didn’t even know.  Sure, he’d seen her cry, but there was more to her than tears and a tail. She did admire his kindness to carry her.  The feeling of the soft rain dripping onto her body was calming, easing her anxiety and the situation. Finn didn’t seem to mind the rain, either.

Poe was still walking ahead of them, leading the trail.  He had seemed oddly comfortable with her transition after they exited the ship.  Rey had placed the strange situation in the back of her mind, but now her thoughts were overwhelming.  He had simply looked at her, and turned around. Nothing else. Her suspicions about him were growing, but Rey shook her head.  He was just a rebel pilot, nothing else.  _ Right?  _ she  thought.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 

“You’re breathing oddly heavily there,” Finn joked.

“Sorry.  There’s a lot on my mind,” Rey apologized, looking down at the lightsaber in her hands.

“Yeah.  The tail was quite a surprise.  Never seen one of those before.”

“Guess there’s more to the galaxy than war, huh?”

“That’s a… small part of why I wanted to leave,” Finn mustered, his cheeks growing red.

“Why did you leave?” Rey asked, her voice gentle now.

“Um, well.  Let’s just say murder isn’t for me.  And neither is a life spent defending a cause that I don’t truly care about.”

“So you came with Poe to the Resistance to  _ avoid  _ murder?” Rey asked, slightly confused.

“Thanks for pointing _that_ out,” Finn paused.  “I just needed to get off that ship.  It was suffocating." 

The two were quiet once more.  Rey realized she shouldn’t have pressed the subject, but then again, he was a distraction from her own worries.  Specifically, the Supreme Leader of the First Order.  She remembered how Kylo Ren had appeared beside them moments before, and then has disappeared in seconds.  _ He  _ wanted  _ me to escape?  Why?  _ Rey wondered, clutching her jaw tight.   _ It’s not like he was trying to help me leave.   _ But despite all of the confusion, she couldn’t help but feel butterflies in her stomach when his name was spoken.  She almost wanted to laugh out loud at the thought. Half the galaxy wanted him dead, and the other half worshiped and feared him.  Rey, well, she did neither. All she wanted from Kylo was for him to allow Ben to reappear. It was Ben who had held her that cold night over the ocean.  It was Ben who carried her across a barren desert and almost died to save her. Ben was the only who had such a complicated, sweet heart, but was buried when working with the First Order.  Rey wanted nothing more than for him to be happy again, and the truth is, he wasn’t. She wasn’t even sure she was happy with the answers she’d gotten about her parents, but it was better than wondering. 

“Hey Poe!  Can we switch off?  I’m started to get really shaky, here,” Finn yelled at the man who had somehow gotten further ahead of the two.  Poe stopped walking and turned around, watching Finn struggle to keep Rey upright and not covered in mud. 

“Yeah.  But you get to carry my pack,” he said as they approached him.  

Poe took off his backpack and looked around, hanging it on a nearby tree branch.  Finn handed Rey gently over to Poe and got a whisp of his musky smell. Rey smiled awkwardly at him, having to face the strange situation they both were placed in.  Finn grabbed the pack as Poe started walking ahead once more. 

“Thank you,” Rey said, wiping the rain drops away from her eyes.

“So you’re the mermaid and jedi’s daughter,” Poe said.  Rey nodded, not knowing how to properly respond.  She hadn't expected him to know immediately, but it seems everyone but Rey knew of her parents.

“I almost believed they were a myth.  If I hadn’t met Leia, that is. She knew your father.  He seemed like a good man,” Poe stated.

“Wait, what?” Rey asked, hope rising in her again. 

“General Leia.  She runs the Resistance.  Her brother was a jedi as well, and he knew your father.  She has plenty of stories about the two of them. You should ask her when we get to the base.”  Rey’s throat caught and her breath quickened. Someone who actually knew one of her parents would be at the Resistance.  There was finally a chance for her to understand them, even though they were gone from her reach.

“How much longer until we get there?” Rey asked, desperate to know more.

“I’d say we have about another mile or so left.  We’ll be there soon,” Poe said, striking excitement in Rey’s chest.  

  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  


Kylo Ren fell over, taking a huge breath.  Sweat covered his body from head to toe, soaking his robes.  He rested his chin on the table beside him, feeling the strong ache in his muscles.  His body fell limp, the energy from the force projection having absolutely drained his body.  After their first connection, Rey had looked at him with a face of pure terror and hatred.  He could feel her pain when she stared with those longing hazel eyes. It had haunted him since then.

In a moment of desperation, Kylo force projected himself to her, hoping to change her mind about him, but to also drain himself of anger.  It had worked. 

“I’m glad you escaped.”  The words echoed in his mind and he hoped that those five syllables would change her perspective.  He wanted nothing but for her to be safe, especially with Hux’s plans getting out of hand. If he had any energy, he’d still be fuming with anger about the assassination attempt.  

Instead, he was now on the ground, weakened by his use of the force.  He hoped Rey would interpret the meet up as another random connection, leaving only Kylo to know the truth.  He respected her, had feelings for her that couldn’t be denied. Even if the whole galaxy hated him, he could walk free knowing that Rey didn’t.  

Kylo rested against the table, feeling the cool temperature sink into his skin.  The force projection wasn’t something he’d never used before, but was desperate to try.  He felt that this was more than a perfect time to attempt the trick. Hell, he hadn’t even believed that it would work, but it did.  And he could smile knowing that Rey was safe. Though the image of another man carrying her was scorching itself into his mind, her well being was more important.   

Kylo laid back onto the floor and rested, his eyes flickering.  After minutes of counting the lights on the ceiling, his lids began to drag downward.  Kylo soon was fast asleep.

_ Her lips, her skin, tan and so, so soft.  She floated over the top of the water as he watched from the river bank, reaching an arm out toward her.  Rey opened her eyes, turning to look over at Ben, smiling at his outreached arm. She swam over, her tail glistening in the sunlight and casting beams over the water.  Rey giggled as Ben jerked his arm away at the feeling of a fish nibbling his fingernails.  _

_ Her laugh was infectious and he wanted nothing more than to hear that sound for every day of his life and even after.  Her short brown hair swooped to the right, flowing along with the current.  _ _ Rey swam up to the bank, pressing her arms upward, her tail swaying in the water. Ben smiled, leaning in close to her face and pressing a hand on her cheek.  She was cold like the water, but nothing could take away the heat between them.  _

_ “I love you, my beautiful Rey,” he whispered. _

_ “I love you, my handsome Ben,” she giggled back.  He looked into her eyes and felt his heart speed up.   _

_ “Kiss me,” Ben murmured.  Rey leaned into him, feeling his rough lips on her smooth ones.  She backed away, smiling, knowing he would want more. _

_ “Kiss me again,” he smiled, his cheeks red with heat. This time she rubbed her nose on his and gently pressed her lips on his cheek.  Her wet skin left traces over his, startling Ben. Completely taken with her, Ben grabbed Rey, pulling her onto his lap. _

_ “Woah!” she exclaimed, nuzzling into his neck.  She traced his skin with her lips, leaving a stream of kisses up to his jaw.  Ben reached a hand up and stopped her, rubbing a finger softly along her jaw.  _

_ “I’ll never let you leave me again.  No more mistakes,” he told Rey, watching her eyes tear up.   _

_ “You’re not alone anymore,” she said, curling her tail up into his lap.   _

_ “Neither are you,” Ben said longingly.  Then, he kissed her passionately, trying desperately to show his love in any physical way she could understand.  Their tongues intertwined, hands searching up and down each other’s bodies. Their hearts beat as one, breathing escalating.   _

_ “Ben,” Rey moaned.  The feeling of his calloused hands searching her skin caused her to shudder.   _

_ “Ben.” _

“... Ren,” wake up.  Kylo jerked awake, pulling himself off the floor so quickly, it was almost like he wasn’t there.  

“Moe?” Kylo asked.  “What is it?”

“Hux.”

Kylo looked at the door.  “When?”

“Tomorrow, Supreme Leader.”

Kylo nodded.  "Let's get ready, then."


	19. Glazed Over Rage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This room had white walls with flickering lights scattered across the ceiling. At the other side was an older woman, sitting down, seemingly looking into space. She sat upon a bench that lined the wall, her skirts cascading over the edges.
> 
> “Leia,” Poe said, walking over and placing Rey gently down on the other end of the bench. 
> 
> “Poe,” she looked over, a large smile growing over her face. “Welcome back.”
> 
> “I found her,” Poe smiled, sitting beside General Leia.
> 
> “I see that. What’s your name?” she asked Rey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited about this chapter! You guys are really gonna love the angst! Trust me on this one. Love ya reylo nerds!  
> Find me @thecatmeowsalot on tumblr

After the trudge through miles of muck, the band of three descended underground.  Darkness filled the tunnel, no light escaping whatsoever. Poe stated that this was to further hide their location, but Rey just found it inconvenient.  The camp was smaller than she imagined, especially for an army. Not that Rey had expected much from a series of underground tunnels and rooms meshed together.  Still, the small amounts of people around were shocking, especially for a group that shot down their enemy’s leader. 

When Poe entered the room with Rey in his arms, the few others present kept silent, their eyes focused on her.  She blushed and looked away, holding the lightsaber tight enough to make her knuckles white and palms sweaty. She wished for her dress to dry quickly so that she could transition back and use her legs, but that never seemed to happen when she wanted it to.  The rooms were stuffy even though they were air conditioned. Her breathing grew heavier, adjusting to the poor air quality.

“Don’t be nervous,” Poe said quietly.  She faked a smile and looked at the saber in her hands.  Rey was wrong about him. Poe was nothing more than a dedicated soldier, destined to be a hero.  He was charming, but had a caring heart. It helped ease her worry, but she still felt the eyes boring holes into her as Poe carried her through separate doors.  Finn followed behind, anxiety obviously riddling through his body. 

This room had white walls with flickering lights scattered across the ceiling.  At the other side was an older woman, sitting down, seemingly looking into space.  She sat upon a bench that lined the wall, her skirts cascading over the edges. 

“Leia,” Poe said, walking over and placing Rey gently down on the other end of the bench.  

“Poe,” she looked over, a large smile growing over her face.  “Welcome back.”

“I found her,” Poe smiled, sitting beside General Leia. 

“I see that.  What’s your name?” she asked Rey.  

“Rey.  And you’re Leia?” 

“My reputation precedes me,” she said, letting out a small laugh.  “It’s nice to meet Obi Wan’s daughter. You have that same determined look in your eye as he.”  Leia got quiet and Poe put an arm on her shoulder. “Who's that?" Finn looked over and waved, a nervous smile lining his lips. 

"Finn.  He left the First Order to be with us," Poe smiled.  Leia nodded at him. 

"Poe, we’ve had a… difficult time since you were captured.  Half our fleet is gone.” Poe tensed up, putting his head in his hands. 

“When?” he asked, worry leaking through his pores.

“Almost a week ago.  I can’t fathom so many losses.  Not anymore,” she sighed, her eyes full of pain.  Rey watched the way she looked at Poe; it was as if he were her son.  Leia ran a hand along his cheek. “I’m so glad you’re back. The force likes to bring me hope, that’s for sure.”

“Leia, we have more than hope.  We have Rey,” Poe whispered softly.  

Rey didn’t hear.  She was too focused on the small sharp pains in her body.  Rey looked down, the tingling starting in her fins and crawling its way up to her waist.  She took a deep breath and turned her body the other way. The tail split at the bottom, branching off into two separate legs.  Her fins blended back into a skin color, changing shape into toes and feet. Her scales smoothed down into skin and soon enough, she had two legs in front of her.  Rey sighed, taking in the sight.  Finn's eyebrows rose and he turned around, obviously grossed out by the sight.

“Rey?” Leia asked, looking around Poe’s body.

“Yes?” she replied, turning to look at the older woman.  She was strong, but slowly frailing. Yet, her eyes held a fiesty determination she hadn’t seen in any other person as of yet.  

“Poe, Finn, could you leave us alone for a moment?” Leia raised her brows at him.  Poe nodded and stood up, exiting through the door at the other end, Finn following close behind. Rey watched them leave, not knowing what to expect from this conversation.

“So you’re Obi Wan’s daughter.”

“I guess so… I never really knew him.  I only remember my mother’s face.”

“I assumed so.  He wouldn’t tell us where you were hidden out of fear.  Every last jedi was murdered, but he made sure you would be safe...  You’re force sensitive, aren’t you?”

“Yes.  At least that’s what Kylo Ren told me,” Rey let slip.  She hadn’t wanted to mention him, but immediately regretted it once she looked at Leia’s face.  

“You… saw him?” she asked, her face tensing up.  Rey looked down at the lightsaber in her hands and nodded.

“He found me.  I saved him. I- I just wanted answers about my family.  He told me he could get them-” Rey started, beginning to ramble. 

“He’s my son,” Leia muttered.  Rey froze, her breath taken from her.  

“W- What?”

“Kylo Ren is my son.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Kylo Ren lit his saber, positioning himself to strike.  He lifted it, staring down the piece of metal before him.  In a moment of anger, Kylo ran forward, striking the object and slicing it in two.  He took a breath and turned back, looking at the melting edges lying on the floor. Kylo killed the saber and sat down, taking a break from his practice.  Too many things were on his mind and the only way to calm them was fighting. He had to use control not to attack Hux just yet, so instead Kylo found himself in his personal training room working up a sweat.  

His plan of revenge against Hux was ready and all that was left to do was wait.  Til then, he needed to control his anger and focus. This was harder to execute than expected.  Thoughts of Rey surged his mind and overtook him. Images from his dream overran the anger and pain, distracting him at a time where focus was needed.  Still, her smile, wide eyes, and beautiful brown hair were so vivid and realistic that it gave him goosebumps. Kylo ran a hand through his hair and stood back up.  

Suddenly, the room became startlingly quiet, the air heavier.  Two breaths filled the air and a sigh echoed out from in front of him.  Kylo Ren looked up and there sat Rey, all alone. 

“Please go away.  I can’t look at you right now,” she mustered.  

“I can't.”

“Then leave me alone!” Rey yelled out, surprising him.  She turned her body to face the wall, away from Kylo. 

“What did I do?” he asked, his heart pounding.  But the truth echoed in his mind.  _ She knows.   _

“You kil- You killed your father.  Leia, your  _ mother,  _ told me!” she forced the words to come out of her mouth.  Kylo looked up, a grinding feeling swirling through his stomach.  He pressed his tongue against his teeth and looked down. 

“Why?” she begged, wanting to know the truth.  He could feel the pain in her chest, the confusion.  She had wanted to know her parents and would give anything for them, yet he had abandoned his.  Kylo bit his cheek and looked at her again. She would never understand. 

“Nothing can hold me back from my place here.  I had to prove it to him,” Kylo uttered, not believing the words that left his mouth.  

“You’re a fool,” she said, turning around.  A tear slid down her face, falling on her chest.  She was still in the dress he’d picked out for her, but it was now slightly muddy and the color fading.  Her words stung, but he knew it was the truth. 

“That might be why Hux is trying to kill me,” Kylo said.  It wasn’t a guilt trip, but he needed to talk to someone he truly trusted about it.  

“You probably deserve it,” she bit back.

“If it wasn’t for him you wouldn’t have gotten off that planet!” Kylo snarled back, sweat beads dripping down his face.  

“What do you mean?!” Rey yelled out.

“He purposefully hit my ship!  He tried to kill me! Then he found you were alive and wanted to use you, Rey.  What happened with my father is over. Done. What is happening now is more important.”

“Nothing is more important than family.  NOTHING!” Rey screamed, tears bleeding down her cheeks.  “You were becoming my _family_ … but not anymore.”

Kylo took a step back, his mouth falling open.  Rey’s cheeks were red, her nose running. He’d done this, and the pain was killing him.  

“What do you mean?” he asked in a soft voice.

“I’ve fallen in love with you, Ben,” Rey paused, her breath shaky.  “But you’ve chosen the wrong path. You continue to choose the wrong path.”

“Rey…” he mustered, tears forming in his eyes.  

Then he was left staring at the wall.  She was gone again, slipping through his fingers.

Kylo Ren screamed out, running and punching that same wall.  His skin burst, blood pouring out. But he wouldn’t stop. His fist made contact again and again, until his knuckles were already bruising, bleeding, and broken.  

In a moment of pure anger, he force grabbed his lightsaber off the ground and stormed out of the training room.  The pain was enough to make him feel alive and give him energy. 

“Hux!” he yelled out across the hall.  Two stormtroopers at the other end froze in place, then slowly backed around a corner.  He heard their footsteps run away, fear controlling them.    Kylo searched the halls, rage glazing his vision. Making his way to the bridge, he lit his saber, striking it against the walls.  

“HUX!” he screamed, entering the bridge.  All the generals froze, eyes watching his every move.  General Hux turned around and smiled, his yellow teeth sparkling red. 

“Ah, Supreme Lea-” he mustered right before Kylo extended his arm and lifted his body in the air.  Hux grabbed at his neck, slowly losing air from his windpipe.

“YOU TRIED TO MURDER ME!” Kylo bared his teeth, eyes narrow.  

“I- uh- I,” Hux attempted to say before the force on his neck tightened.

“AND YOU WANTED TO HURT HER!” he screamed out at him, dropping Hux back on the ground.

“Supreme Leader, why would you think of such a thing?  An assassination attempt?” the snarly voiced man coughed out. 

“You continue to lie to me,” Kylo said, bending down to look him in the eye.  “And for that, I am going to kill you.”

Kylo Ren stood back up, holding the saber tight in his hands.  

“Please, Supreme Leader!  Please! I’ll do anything,” he begged, red hair falling out of place. 

“You  _ hurt _ Rey,” Kylo said.  Then, he swung, pressing the saber through the tough skin.  Hux’s head fell over, his body following it. The room became deadly quiet and Kylo looked around, ready to kill again.  The generals all stared at their dead leader, astonished at the act they’d just witnessed. Blood poured over the shiny black floors, swirling its way to Kylo Ren’s boots.  

“Clean this up,” he growled, turning around.  Kylo Ren killed the saber and walked out the door, ready to end this war once and for all.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY SHIT RIGHT?! I was writing it and almost wanted to cry cuz apparently I'm hella sensitive. Anyways, tell me what you guys thought!! Things are really beginning to heat up. We're approaching closer to the end:(


	20. Night Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey sat on the bed at the edge of her issued room, salty tears falling down her face. The taste reminded her of the crystals floating in the sea back at home. ‘No, not home. Not anymore,’ Rey thought. She wished more than anything to be back there now, lost and without answers. At least then she had a sliver of hope. Now Rey knew the truth; her family was dead and she’d fallen in love with a monster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I know it's been over a month since I've posted. Been dealing with health issues and writer's block. Horrible combination those two. Anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter. It's sort of a transitionary one before the climax! WOO! I love ya reylo nerds!
> 
> Follow me on tumblr @thecatmeowsalot

Rey sat on the bed at the edge of her issued room, salty tears falling down her face.  The taste reminded her of the crystals floating in the sea back at home.  _ ‘No, not home.  Not anymore,’  _ Rey thought.  She wished more than anything to be back there now, lost and without answers.  At least then she had a sliver of hope. Now Rey knew the truth; her family was dead and she’d fallen in love with a monster.  

After Leia had confided in her about Ben, Rey requested to be alone.  Leia nodded her head, understanding, and led her down a maze of halls.  Some of the doors they passed were open, laughter echoing off the walls.  Somehow these people had found peace and happiness despite the numerous tragedies they had faced.  Leia turned and noticed the distraught expression in Rey’s eyes. 

“Our rebellion was born on hope.  If we don’t have it still, then darkness strangles the light.”

Rey stopped in the hall, looking down at her bare feet.

“And Ben?” Rey whispered, furrowing her brow together.  She swallowed the lump in her throat, looking up to face Leia.  Leia sighed, clenching her jaw. 

“I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t pry anymore,” Rey stated.  Leia nodded and turned around. She followed her down the rest of the hall and stopped in front of a closed door.  Rey walked in, looking at the small space. Leia hovered in the doorway for a moment, hesitant. Then Rey heard her soft, warning words.  

“You love him, don’t you?”

Rey turned, eyes wide and cheeks rising with heat.  “Be- Kylo Ren? How could I love such a creature?” she asked, lying to herself. 

“Because you choose to see the light in him.  As did I,” she paused. “Don’t let it be your downfall,” Leia added.  The words hung in the air between the two, circling Rey’s mind like a screeching flying porg.  Leia nodded and walked away, the door closing behind her. Rey looked around the room, tears forming in her eyes.  Despite the blurriness, she sauntered over to the bed and sat on its edge, hugging herself tightly. That’s when he appeared again.  

Their encounter only made her furious, despite the tears flowing down her face.  But soon enough, Rey’s anger had dissipated and instead turned to pain. She knew he was a murderer, but nothing could denounce the act of killing family.  It was all too much for her; too much for anybody. Yet, somehow, the universe had chosen her to live this life. She cursed the slimy, red haired devil Hux who had caused this situation in the first place.  If she was to believe Kylo that is. Rey shook her head. 

‘ _ How can someone go from being nothing, to being everything?’  _ she wondered.  Rey had only ever wanted answers, wanted a family.  Now she had answers, but was alone once more. She was foolish to believe that Ben could ever fill that spot in her heart.  He was too focused on receiving validation and acceptance from everyone that he forgot about what he truly wanted. 

Rey took in a deep breath, trying to ignore the growing headache pounding against her skull.  Exhaustion was seeping into her body and slowly breaking her mind and body apart. She looked up at the other side of the room and finally noticed the closet.  Rey stood up and walked over, opening the doors. Inside were issued pajamas and day clothing. She looked down at the faded black dress she wore and decided to tear the last bits of Kylo Ren away from her mind- at least for the night.  

The pajamas were warm and body length, wrapping loosely around her thin figure.  It was the first time she’d felt comfortable since laying on the rock wrapped in Kylo’s cape.  Rey bit her lip and looked at the dress on the floor. She wanted to forget him, to hate him and move forward.  But as much as she wanted to throw away the dress and rid him of her mind, something in her couldn’t destroy it.  Instead, Rey folded the dress and hid it behind the pile of issued clothes. She closed the closet door and rested her back against it, taking in a deep breath.  She slid to the ground and placed her head in her hands. 

There were no tears left to cry, so Rey sat there, the emptiness eating away at her feelings.  

As time passed, her body slowly slid to the ground and darkness overcame her vision.  A heavy sleep flowed into her mind, finally giving Rey the break she needed from her own thoughts.  

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

When she awoke, all the lights in the compound had been turned off.  Rey didn’t know what time it was or how long she had been asleep. She sat up off the floor, rolling away the pain in her shoulders.  Rey rubbed her eyes and stood up, walking to the door and poking her head into the hall. It was dark everywhere except for one soft light sparkling at the end of the hallway, leading around the corner.  Curious, but suspicious, Rey walked back into her room and grabbed the lightsaber off the bed. She tracked the stream of light to a cracked open door where voices were quietly muttering to one another.  Rey held the saber close to her chest with one hand and placed the other against the wall near the doorway. A man and woman were talking to one another, but she had to strain to make out their words. 

“She is our -” Rey heard from the man, losing the rest of the sentence.

“-not trained,” the woman stated.  “- makes her deadly.”

“Rey is not like Ben was,” the man urged loudly.  Rey backed away from the wall, looking at the saber in her hands.  

“- don’t - that,” the woman mustered.  Rey looked through the door and saw Leia’s figure.  

Startled, Rey walked away, not wanting to hear any more.  Instead, she made her way through the dark halls, somehow ending up back at the lobby where she had first entered the compound.  Rey sat down on the floor, rocking herself back and forth. 

_ ‘I am dangerous,’  _ she thought.  She’d never wielded a lightsaber before and had struck down one of the most powerful men in the galaxy with one move.   _ ‘But danger is not what follows me.’   _ She snorted, laying back on the ground.  Kylo Ren still followed her; he was stuck in her mind and appearing to her through the force.   _ ‘Danger is not who I am.’   _ Rey sat back up and looked at the saber in her hands.  She lit it again, bathing in the blue light that cast shadows on the furniture.  

“You hold that like you’ve always known how to use it,” a man’s voice said, breaking the silence.  Rey turned. Poe was relaxed against a wall, arms folded together. 

“Must be in my genes,” Rey said, looking back at the saber and waving it around the air.  She stood up and turned to face Poe. 

“Not necessairly.  But that is a bonus.”

Rey took a deep breath and looked into his eyes, struggling to find the right words to ask.  

“Were you and Leia just talking about me… ?” she mustered.  

“Ah.  You heard that, huh?  Well, we were talking about you,” he said, looking up at her from the side of the wall.  

“... Is that all you’re going to tell me?” she asked, facing the saber toward the ground.  

“Are you planning on striking me with that thing?” he asked, his eyes sparkling blue.  Poe walked over to a panel on the wall and turned on a lamp. 

“Of course not.  Why would I?” Rey asked, confused.  She killed the light and clutched the handle tight in her hand.  

“Just checking.  I’d rather not fight off a Kenobi, you know?  However, I would like to know what you heard of that conversation.”

“I’m not Kylo Ren.  I’m not  _ Ben _ .  All I wanted was my family.  This place, whether I like it or not, is all I have left of them.  I don’t plan on giving that up,” Rey said. 

“I know.  Leia isn’t so sure, though.  But she has reason to be hesitant.  You know she blames herself for what happened to him, right?” Poe said, walking closer to Rey.  

“I didn’t know that.” 

“I want you to train.  Leia isn’t sure. But I know you have to.  Rey, you are the key to taking down the First Order.”  Rey took a step back, bumping into a chair. 

“Why me?”

“You are the jedi and the mermaid’s daughter.  You’re not like the rest of us.  You're better."

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Kylo Ren looked into the mirror, studying the scar along his face.  Blood had dotted his uniform, but it had taken hours for him to eventually take them off.  He showered and calmed down as the water struck his skin, hot enough to leave red patches on him all day.  Now Kylo was now stuck watching his reflection, waiting for the steam to drip down the glass. Black hair covered the other side of his face, hiding one of his eyes.  He studied the strange man in the mirror with angry eyes and an expressionless face. 

“It’s time to end this war.”  

Kylo turned around and walked out of the bathroom, heading to change.  He froze, staring down The Knights of Ren who were waiting for him. 

“What the hell is this?” he demanded.

“You finally got rid of the rat.  Now it’s time to get rid of the rebellion.”

Kylo nodded, walking closer to them.  “What’s the plan?”


	21. Breaking Glass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We’re coming for you.” 
> 
> Rey jerked around, searching for the man behind the voice. 
> 
> “Where are you?” she snarled, twisting her body around the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS I ADDED IN SOME LOVEY STUFF AND YOU ARE ALL GONNA LOVE IT AND I MISSED IT SO MUCH SO HERE IS THE ANGST AND LOVE!!!! Love ya reylo nerds!!!!   
> Find me @thecatmeowsalot on tumblr

Poe had led Rey to the training room in the compound.  He’d left her soon afterwards, trusting that she had the capabilities to practice on her own.  She looked around the room filled with huge sacks hanging from the ceiling and strange metal pieces.  Rey placed the lightsaber on the floor and walked over to one of the hanging sacks. She hit it and was surprised at the force it took to move it. Rey shook her hand and the pain away, sighing.  

“Well, I can’t practice with the lightsaber,” she muttered to herself.  Rey imagined the room torn apart and seared with burn marks. It almost made her laugh.  Instead she looked behind her for something else to use.  Along a wall hung ten long staffs. Rey walked over to it, slowly plucking one from the wall. It was heavy, but would be perfect to train with.  She twirled it around in her hands, looking at the pipe. It seemed to have once been a piece from a ship or a building. ‘ _ Looks like the resistance is low on resources,’  _ she thought.  

Rey walked back over to the large sack and pointed the staff at it.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, readying herself to attack.  She tightened her grip on the plastic, knuckles turning white, and let herself feel the energy around her.  A gentle wave overcame her body, and Rey’s eyes jerked open, suddenly energized. She spun the staff round her body and swished it to the right of the sack, stopping millimeters from touching it.  Rey's muscles tensed, her focus only on each movement. Rey swung the staff back behind her body, resting for a slight moment. She let herself feel the presence of the room and her existence mixed together.  Then she jerked the staff to the front of her body, using the top of it to hit the sack. She then twirled it around her body, the bottom of the staff hitting it again. Rey raised it above her head and twisted it around, then twirled her body with the staff.  They were two in one, rushing with one another toward the sack.

This time, she kept one hand on the staff and tucked the other behind her back.  Rey leaned to one side and pointed the staff at the other side of the sack. She put it down and took a deep breath.  Then, in a series of movements, she twisted it around her body, catching it with one hand, and struck into the sack.  Rey smiled, proud of what she had done. 

Her smile faded as her focus returned.  In an instant, Rey swung the staff up and downward, moving her body with the entity.  She was sweating, but it didn’t matter. She was too focused on the connection between her and the staff to care.  Rey swished it to the right and left, sideways, upwards, and twirled it along with her body. She crouched low to the ground and then swung upwards, rising back into the air.  Then the hair on the back of her neck stood up. Rey dropped the staff, noticing the different energy filling the room. 

“We’re coming for you.”  

Rey jerked around, searching for the man behind the voice.  

“Where are you?” she snarled, twisting her body around the room.  Kylo Ren laughed. Rey turned back around and held her breath. He walked out from behind the hanging sack, facing Rey.  Her eyes narrowed, and she grabbed the staff off the ground, pointing it at Kylo.  His face quickly went from playful to serious.

“I don’t want to hurt you.  I never wanted to hurt you. But my allegiance is with the First Order,” he said.

“Yet you had the ability to let me believe I was in danger.  You had the ability to murder your own father. And somewhere in you, I know there is someone who has the ability to do the right thing.  But you’d rather be accepted by liars and murderers than your own family,” Rey spit back. Kylo Ren looked into Rey’s eyes and took a step forward.  A sadness filled his glassy eyes.

“I  _ am  _ a murderer,” he breathed.  “No one in the Resistance would accept me for who I’ve become.”  Rey shook her head, but held the staff steady. 

“No.  If you could see the love and pain your mother still has for you-”

“I can’t.”

“You _choose_ not to.  You chose to disown the light.  Can’t you see it’s not too late, Ben?” Rey said, her facade fading.  She slowly lowered the staff and walked toward Kylo. “You can still change.  I see the people here and their incredible love for one another. Despite what they’ve been through, they choose to see the good in one another.  If you come back, these people will eventually see the light in you, too.” Rey reached a hand up and placed it on his cheek. Kylo kept his emotion hidden behind an empty expression.  However, his eyes were full of pain and so much confusion. 

“Rey…” he started.  Rey pushed herself on her tiptoes and dropped the staff.  Her arms were around his large form, gently caressing him.  She was so close to him, and his breath escalated. 

“I don’t want to let you down again,” he whispered. 

“Then come home,” Rey gasped.  Her eyes were blurry as water began to fill them.  Kylo looked down at her and placed a hand on the side of her face, the touch sending a spark into Rey’s stomach.  

“I just want this pain to end,” he muttered, dropping his head.  Rey watched as his mask dropped and his true emotion splattered over his face.  She took her hand and lifted his head so that she could see into her eyes. 

“You have to end it.  Not me,” she breathed.  Ben looked down at her, his lips apart.  His eyes faltered to her lips, studying their soft curves.  Ben took his other hand and placed it on her cheek and rubbed his thumb over her lips.  

“I love you, too,” he barely whispered.  Rey looked up, her eyes wide. The corners of her lips lifted up and Ben leaned down and pressed his lips into hers.  They locked onto one another, grasping for as much as each could have in the small moments before they were gone. Skin pressed into skin, breath into breath as they melted into one another.  Too soon Ben leaned back, running his fingers over her cheeks and tucking a piece of brown hair behind her ear. 

“You have to warn the Resistance that we’re coming,” he said, pain forming behind his eyes.  

“You’re not giving up?” Rey asked, backing out of his arms.  

“I-” he tried to say before the bond was cut off.  His body dissipated slowly until she was faced with the sack.  Her hands began shaking as she realized what was going to happen.  Another war. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

By the time the compound was awake and buzzing again, Rey was out and searching for Leia.  She passed so many unknown faces, some staring at her in amazement and some not. Eventually Rey found Leia in a room alone with another older woman.  Rey knocked, unsure if she was allowed in or not. Leia and the lady with purple hair turned around. They smiled and waved her in. 

“Rey, are you alright?” Leia asked.

“Um, I need to talk to you.  Alone,” Rey said closing the door behind her.  Leia looked to the other woman and nodded. She shook her head and began to walk out, nodding at Rey.  

“What is it?” Leia asked as the door closed.  

“The First Order is coming.  They found our location,” Rey said.  Leia's brows narrowed and teeth clenched.  “I don’t know how. Poe said the tracker was off on our ship. They’re coming, Leia.  We have to be ready.”

“How do you know this?” she asked, looking at Rey hesitantly.  Rey took a deep breath and looked into Leia’s eyes. 

“The force connected Kylo Ren to me this morning.  He warned me.” 

Leia stood up, walking to the other end of the room.  She lowered her head, looking at a screen on the table in front of her.  

“Ben… Why would he-” she started and stopped.  Leia turned back to face Rey, her jaw clenched tightly.  “He loves you…” 

Rey looked down at the floor and nodded.  “I tried to tell him to come home. But instead of coming alone, he’s bringing the war.”

Leia took in a deep breath, looking down at Rey with a controlled expression.  “Thank you, Rey. We need to ready the compound. Go out and find Poe. He’ll find something for you to do.”  Rey stood up, looking at Leia, but she’d already turned back around. For some reason, Rey felt hurt.  Like she'd betrayed Leia for loving Ben.

Rey made her way out of the room and raised a hand to her neck, taking in a deep breath and fighting away tears.  Something big was coming. She felt it like the twinge in her stomach. Rey stood up straight and made her way through the halls and back to her room.  She knew how she needed to prepare. Rey entered the room and grabbed the lightsaber off her bed.  _ ‘Dad, I’m going to need your help, now.’  _ Then she made her way to the closet, searching in the dress she’d folded up there.  Sure enough, there was the pink shell wrapped in black fabric. Rey grabbed it and held it close to her chest.   _ ‘Alright, Mom.  Let’s get through this together.’   _ Rey turned back around and headed to the door.  As soon as she opened it, the sirens in the compound went off.  It was time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And don't worry. There will be more mermaidness soon. Can't forget the fun stuff:))))))


End file.
